;ch  of  the  Development  |j 

the  ^Modern  Horse 


BY 

F.  S.  COOLEY 


^ickmofe's  Horse  Book 


IRLF 


277    Mil 


PUBLISHED  BY 

IE  GALL  CURE   COMPANY 
OLD  TOWN,  MAINE,  U  S,  A, 


c" 


LIBRARY 

OF   THE  ., 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT  OF" 


Sketch   of    the   Development 
of  the  Modern  Horse 


BY 

F.  S.  COOLEY 


Bickmore's  Horse  Book 


COMPANY 

OLD  TOWN,  MAINE,  U.  S.  A. 


Copyright  1906  by 

Bickmore  Gall  Cure  Company 

Old  Town,  Maine,  U.S.A. 


CONTENTS 


Page 

Development  of  the  Modern  Horse 5 

Classification  of  Improved  Domestic  Breed: 12 

Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  an  advertisement 13 

Arabian  and  Barbary  Horses 14 

Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  how  put  up 18 

English  Thoroughbred 18 

The  American  Saddler 23 

An  Apt  Trade  Mark  ( 26 

The  American  Trotter 28 

Pacing  Horses 37 

Orloff  Trotter 39 

Further  Uses  for  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure \  40 

French  Coach  Breed .41 

German  Coach  Horse 43 

Oldenburg  Coacher  / 45 

Cleveland  Bay 45 

The  Hackney • 47 

Bickmore's  in  the  Boer  V/cr 50 

The  Ptrcheron 51 

French  Draft  Horse 55 

Belgian  Draft  Horse 56 

Clydesdale  Draft  Horse .  57 

English  Shire  Draft  Horse 59 

Suffolk  Punch 60 

The  Mustang 62 

Bronchos  or  Indian  Ponies      . 63 

Shetland  Ponies 64 

Welsh  or  Exmoor  Ponies 65 

The  101  Ranch,  a  testimonial 66 

Market  Classes • 66 

A  Warning  to  Buyers 72 

Points  of  a  Good  Horse 73 

Horse  Breeding 76 

Foreign  Agencies  Bickmore  Gall  Cure  Co 82 

Trial  Offer • .83 

c\ 


A  Sketch  of  the 
Development  of  the  Modern  Horse 

Many  authors  have  sought  to  enlighten  the  minds  of  people  in 
regard  to  the  horse,  and  valuable  books  not  a  few  treat  of  his  his- 
tory, present  status  and  management.  By  no  means,  however, 
has  the  subject  been  exhausted,  and  even  had  it  been  there  would 
still  exist  the  conditions  that  prompt  the  present  effort.  It  is  our 
purpose  to  present  in  a  brief  and  concise  form  a  reliable  and  accurate 
summary  of  the  best  information  concerning  the  horse  as  he  now 
exists  and  some  of  the  stages  through  which  he  has  passed  in  his 
development. 

Few  if  any  of  our  domestic  animals  present  subjects  of  greater 
interest  to  the  scientist  or  to  the  general  public  than  horses. 
While  they  have  come  into  man's  service  more  recently,  perhaps, 
than  any  of  the  animals  in  the  group  with  which  they  are  com- 
monly associated,  their  story  as  now  told  extends  farther  back  into 
the  recesses  of  the  past  than  that  of  the  others.  Their  history  and 
development  has  been  better  worked  out,  and  abounds  in  facts  of 
exceptional  interest.  They  were  among  the  earliest  animals  to  receive 
the  attention  of  progressive  breeders.  Their  improvement  antedates 
that  of  cattle,  sheep  or  swine.  Their  pedigrees  were  much  earlier 
recorded  and  pure  breeding  among  them  preceded  that  of  any 
other  class  of  animals.  Nor  do  we  wonder  at  this  when  we  con- 
sider the  intimacy  of  horse  and  rider,  their  constant  companionship 
and  the  dependence  of  man  upon  his  horse  in  the  chase,  in  the 
pursuit  of  his  foes,  or  in  the  escape  from  his  enemies.  Indeed,  man's 
relative  dependence  upon  his  horse  was  formerly  far  greater  than  now. 

Bed  your  horses  with  clean,  dry  straw. 


6  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

To-day  steam,  electricity,  and  other  sources  of  energy  have  ren- 
dered man  in  a  degree  independent  of  the  powers  of  the  horse,  so 
that  mechanical  enthusiasts  are  heralding  the  coming  centuries  as 
the  "  horseless  age." 

Commercialism  has  also  greatly  increased  the  relative  importance 
of  cattle,  sheep  and  other  farm  animals  on  account  of  their  wealth- 
producing  qualities.  Yet  never  has  the  horse  had  more  faithful 
champions,  more  ardent  admirers  or  competent  historians  than  at 
present,  and  within  a  decade  only  have  we  heard  of  a  horse  sold 
for  $191,500.00,  and  several  have  brought  upwards  of  $100,- 
000.00  each.  If  we  read  the  signs  of  the  times  aright,  far  from 
declining  into  "innocuous  desuetude"  the  horse  is  still  making 
progress  towards  the  zenith  of  his  prosperity. 

Natural  Relations 

The  genus  EQUUS,  to  which  the  horse  family  belongs,  com- 
prises twelve  named  species  and  what  were  formerly  three  different 
genera.  These  are  the  horse,  E.  CABALLUS  and  E.  PRE- 
JAVALLSKI1,  from  which  the  domestic  horse  is  thought  to  have 
descended,  now  represented  by  the  Tarpan  of  western  Asia,  and 
Prejavallsky's  Horse  of  Siberia ;  the  ass,  E.  ASSINUS  and  E. 
ASSINUS  SOMALICUS,  found  in  Africa  and  in  Abyssinia; 
the  Asiatic  ass,  E.  ONAGER,  E.  HEMIPPUS  and  E.  HE- 
MONIUS ;  the  quagga,  intermediate  between  the  ass  and  the 
zebra,  now  nearly  if  not  entirely  extinct ;  and  the  zebra,  E.  ZE- 
BRA, E.  BURCHELLII,  and  E.  CHAPMANII,  of  central 
and  southern  Africa. 

In  domestication  the  horse  has  so  far  developed  in  speed,  beau- 
ty, and  strength  as  to  make  his  natural  derivation  somewhat  doubt- 
ful. 

The  family  Equidae,  which  includes  the  horse,  ass  and  zebra, 

"Have  been  in  the  stable  business  30  years  and  tried  every  remedy  for 
sores,  but  found  nothing  that  gave  the  satisfactory  results  your  Qall  Cure 
does.  J.  L.  Godfrey,  Virginia,  Net).  " 


NATURAL  RELATIONS 


as  noted,  is  grouped  naturally  with  the  tapir  and  rhinoceros  families 
in  forming  the  PERISSODACTYL  (odd-toed)  UNGULATES 
(hoofed  animals).  Away  back  in  the  Tertiary  times  the  ancestors 
of  these  families  more  closely  resembled  each  other  than  do  the 
present  representatives.  And  yet  many  important  points  of  resem- 
blance are  now  presented  to  the  keen  observation  of  the  naturalist. 
For  example,  the  prehensile  upper  lip  of  the  horse  and  the  exten- 
sible snout  of  the  tapir  may  have  been  developed  from  the  same 
ancestral  features. 

The  rhinoceros  family  is  steadily  diminishing  in  numbers  and 


BURCHELL'S  ZEBRA 


(Courtesy  Scientific  American) 


will  one  day  be  only  a  tradition  of  former  times,  while  the  tapir 
is  already  coming  near  to  its  extermination.  The  horse,  however, 
appea/s  to  be  assured  of  a  perpetual  place  as  one  of  man's  most 
valued  subjects.  The  greater  portion  of  hoofed  animals  in  domes- 
tication as  well  as  in  a  wild  state  belong  to  the  pair-toed  branch, 

<?very  horse  needs  salt.      Leave  a  lump  of  rocfy  salt  in  the  manger. 


8  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

technically  called  ARTIODACTYLS.  The  artiodactyls  and 
perissodactyls  together  form,  next  to  man,  by  far  the  most  important 
order  of  the  class  MAMMALIA,  which  includes  all  animals  which 
bear  their  young  alive  and  nourish  them  after  birth  with  milk. 

Distribution  and  Natural  Instincts 

The  horse  family  is  found  native  at  present  in  only  a  very  small 
part  of  the  world,  the  horse  proper  being  confined  to  a  very  re- 
stricted portion  of  western  Asia  and  eastern  Russia,  while  his 
cousins,  the  ass  and  zebra,  extend  southward  into  Africa  and  spread 
over  a  large  portion  of  that  continent.  No  hoofed  animals  of  any 
kind  originated  in  Australia.  The  Western  Hemisphere,  while  it 
does  not  present  any  living  descendants  of  native  horses,  abounds 
as  does  no  other  part  of  the  world  in  fossil  remains  of  extinct  an- 
cestral species  of  the  horse  group.  These  fossil  remains  are  found 
from  Patagonia  to  Escholz  Bay,  but  are  most  abundant  in  the 
ancient  fresh-water  lake  region  of  the  present  states  of  Wyoming 
and  Montana  in  the  United  States.  Their  presence  there,  and 
their  undisputable  relationship  to  the  modern  horse  furnishes  a  very 
strong  proof  of  land  communication  between  America  and  the 
Asiatic  continent  during  a  former  geological  period. 

The  natural  instincts  of  the  horse  are  characteristic  and  striking. 
His  home  is  the  desert.  He  does  not  ordinarily  frequent  the 
fertile  plains  which  he  would  necessarily  share  with  other  grazing 
animals  in  large  numbers  ;  but  rather  avoids  the  companionship  of 
other  species  and  seeks  the  solitudes  of  vast  expanses  of  barren 
plains,  where  his  powers  of  locomotion  make  it  possible  for  him  to 
thrive  where  few  other  animals  can  live.  He  travels  over  firm, 
hard  surfaces  with  great  facility,  but  instinctively  avoids  the  swamp 
and  morass.  He  shuns  the  forest  and  thicket  and  keeps  to  the 
open  plain.  He  does  not  trust  to  escape  danger  in  concealment, 


'  '  /  have  never  sold  anything  that  gave  such  universal  satisfaction  as 
more  's  Gall  Cure  in  my  20  years  as  a  merchant. 

W.  R.  Kimball,  Sherman,  Texas." 


DISTRIBUTION  AND  NATURAL  INSTINCTS  9 

but  rather  avoids  his  enemies  by  flight.  His  senses  are  very  acute. 
Sight,  hearing,  smell,  all  highly  developed,  warn  him  of  danger,  as 
a  rule,  long  before  the  hunter  has  learned  that  wild  horses  are  near, 
so  that  the  wild  horse  is  seldom  seen  and  less  often  caught.  He 
has  little  curiosity,  and  does  not  attempt  to  observe  the  appearance 
or  character  of  an  intruder.  On  the  contrary,  when  he  senses 
danger,  he  seeks  protection  in  flight,  which  is  swift  and  long  con- 
tinued. He  may  travel  miles  and  miles  when  started,  not  in  a 
circle  to  return  to  the  starting  point  in  a  short  time,  but  straight  away 
across  the  desert,  to  distant  feeding  grounds,  not  to  return  to  the 
spot  whence  he  fled  perhaps  for  months.  The  horse  does  not  often 
seek  to  defend  himself  when  brought  to  bay.  His  whole  instinct 
is  to  get  away,  keeping  to  the  open,  where  his  speed  may  be 
utilized  to  the  fullest  extent.  He  withstands  great  fatigue,  and 
privations  of  food  and  water,  so  that  running  down  the  wild  horse 
would  be  a  stupendous  undertaking. 

The  conditions  that  have  developed  the  horse  are  hard  level 
surfaces  and  scanty  feeding  grounds  far  apart.  As  he  has  scoured 
the  plains  generation  after  generation,  century  after  century,  age 
after  age,  his  limbs  have  grown  longer  and  better  adapted  to  trav- 
el ;  his  feet  have  changed  to  suit  the  surface  of  the  ground  and  his 
speed  and  endurance  have  become  wonderfully  emphasized.  As 
a  result  of  ages  of  life  under  these  peculiar  conditions  the  horse 
has  at  length  become  a  most  marvelous  example  of  specialized 
organism.  No  animal  surpasses  him  in  powers  of  locomotion  over 
the  hard  level  plain  in  the  open.  In  speed  and  endurance  he  is 
the  peer  of  them  all,  and  it  is  because  of  this  wonderful  specializa- 
tion that  he  has  become  so  useful  to  man.  No  other  animal  equals 
the  horse  in  locomotive  power. 

Pre-Existing  Ancestry 

Recognizing  as  we  must  the  present  high  degree  of  development 
which  the  horse  has  reached,  and  knowing  the  conditions  under 

Remove  the  harness  and  rub  n?or£  horses  down  during  the  noon  hour. 


10  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

which  this  specialization  has  come  about,  it  will  be  interesting  to 
cast  a  passing  glance  at  the  type  of  animal  from  which  he  has 
sprung.  Away  back  in  the  remote  geological  ages,  long  before 
history  was  written,  aye !  even  before  man  had  made  his  appear- 
ance on  the  earth,  the  forms  of  life,  both  animal  and  plant,  were 
quite  different  from  those  with  which  we  are  familiar.  Whole 
families  of  animals  have  appeared,  come  to  a  high  degree  of  devel- 
opment and  numerical  importance,  declined,  and  disappeared  in 
the  interval. 

The  first  ancestor  of  the  horse,  whose  fossil  remains  have  been 
identified  as  belonging  to  the  family,  lived  in  the  early  TERTIA- 
RY time,  in  what  was  called  the  EOCENE  period,  and  it  is  in 
the  rocks  that  were  formed  during  that  time  these  remains  are  now 
found.  This  was  thousands,  perhaps  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
years  ago.  This  early  ancestor  of  the  horse  from  the  age  in  which 
he  lived  was  called  the  EOHIPPUS.  He  was  about  the  size  of 
a  fox  and  instead  of  one  toe  on  each  leg  he  had  four  perfect  toes 
and  one  that  was  rudimentary.  Contemporary  with  the  eohippus 
was  another  animal  about  fifteen  inches  in  height  with  four  toes, 
called  HYRACOTHERIUM.  These  two  animals  were  quite 
similar,  perhaps  indeed,  of  the  same  species.  The  OROHIP- 
PUS  AGILIS  of  Prof.  Marsh  also  belongs  to  the  eocene  time 
and  differed  from  the  foregoing  in  that  three  of  the  four  toes  on 
each  foot  were  considerably  smaller  than  the  main  central  toe. 

In  the  succeeding  MIOCENE  period  a  similar  animal  existed, 
but  it  had  by  this  time  increased  its  size  to  about  that  of  a  sheep 
and  had  lost  one  toe  entirely  from  each  foot.  The  MIOHIPPUS 
had  one  large  functional  toe  on  each  foot  and  a  smaller  toe  on 
either  side  of  it,  which  did  not  always  touch  the  ground  in  walking. 

The  last  of  the  tertiary  periods,  the  PLIOCENE,  presents  an- 
other interesting  representative  of  the  family,  which  is  also  named 

' '  I  have  used  this  Gall  Cure  at  the  Page  (Bros.  '  stock  farm  on  cuts,  galls, 
old  sores,  and  find  it  the  best  thing  of  its  kind  ever  used. 

H.  L.  Page,  East  Bethany,  N.   Y." 


PRE-EXISTING  ANCESTRY  11 

for  the  age,  the  PLIOHIPPUS.  The  pliohippus,  also  called  the 
HIPPARION,  was  as  large  as  a  donkey,  and  had  one  functional 
toe  on  each  foot,  and  two  smaller  ones,  each  terminating  in  a  tiny 
hoof  outside  the  skin  of  the  leg.  These  smaller  toes  were  entirely 
functionless,  never  touching  the  ground  when  walking,  evidence  of 
relationship  to  ancient  types  with  five  toes,  but  no  longer  of  use  to 
the  animal,  and  consequently  of  reduced  size,  and  yet  not  having 
entirely  disappeared  through  long  generations  of  disuse  as  they  have 
since  done  in  the  modern  horse. 

An  examination  of  the  leg  bones  of  the  horse  will  reveal  upon 
either  side  of  the  cannon  or  shank  below  the  knee  and  hock,  long 
slender  bones  extending  down  the  sides  of  the  central  bone  for 
several  inches  and  terminating  in  enlargements  shaped  like  a  hoof. 
These  slender  bones  are  called  splints  and  in  occasional  monstrosi- 
ties or  sports  they  develop  to  such  an  extent  as  to  terminate  out- 
side the  skin  of  the  fetlock  joint  in  a  tiny  hoof,  bearing  evidence  to 
an  inherited  tendency  to  have  more  than  one  toe. 

The  fifth  toe,  lost  for  untold  generations,  may  still  be  traced  in 
the  callosities  or  chestnuts  on  the  inside  of  the  leg.  These  callosi- 
ties correspond  to  the  human  thumb  and  great  toe. 

We  see  then  that  the  horse  has  developed  during  thousands  of 
years,  and  countless  generations,  from  a  little  five-toed  animal  to  the 
powerful  courser  of  modern  times.  Upon  the  hard  surface  of  the 
desert  over  which  he  has  ranged,  the  broad  five-toed  foot  would 
be  of  no  advantage,  so  little  by  little,  generation  after  generation, 
his  members  have  become  changed  and  modified  into  a  single  toe, 
terminating  in  a  hard,  tough  hoof,  the  best  possible  organ  for  rapid 
running  upon  the  desert  plain. 

The  very  remote  antiquity  of  the  horse  group,  as  attested  by  the 
four-  and  five-toed  ancestors  that  have  been  discovered  in  the 
oldest  tertiary  rocks,  suggusts  their  subsequent  importance  among 
the  fauna  of  the  earth.  We  are  not  left  to  mere  conjecture  upon  this 
point,  for  discoveries  indicate  that  long  before  man  began  to  assume 

l*<&^  of  8*lf  |rea«  /ncreaaM  tbs  had  and  Wears  the  wagon, 


12  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

"  control  over  the  beasts  of  the  field,"  animals  of  this  family  had  be- 
come very  numerous  and  existed  in  great  variety.  Not  only  is  the 
chain  of  evolution  very  complete  between  the  little  five-toed  eohip- 
pus  and  the  domestic  horse,  but  there  were  other  forms  in  profu- 
sion, some  of  which  were  of  great  size.  Fossil  skulls  of  one-half 
greater  size  than  those  of  our  great  draft  horses  have  been  found, 
belonging  to  members  of  the  group  in  former  times,  of  great  strength, 
but  probably  not  yet  developed  in  powers  of  locomotion  as  their 
present  relatives.  Those  best  acquainted  with  the  subject  agree 
that  this  family  was  at  one  time  far  more  numerous  and  varied  than 
at  present. 

Classification  of  Improved  Domestic  Breeds  of  Horses 

For  convenience  in  study  horses  have  been  grouped  by  com- 
mon consent  into  saddle,  trotting,  coach,  draft,  and  pony  breeds,  as 

follows : 

f    Arabian  and  Barbary. 
Saddle     •}     English  Thoroughbred. 

(    American  Saddler. 
T,  (    American  Trotter. 

Tr0ttmg    j    Orlolf  Trotter. 
French  Coach. 
German  Coach. 
Cleveland  Bay. 
Hackney. 

Percheron  and  French  Draft. 
Belgian. 


Draft 


Clydesdale. 


English  Shire. 

Suffolk  Punch. 
(    Shetland. 
Pony         J     Welsh. 

(     Mustang  and  Broncho. 

The  general  make-up  of  a  saddle  or  trotting  horse  is  long,  slen- 

"Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  is  all  O.  K.     It  cures  Me  the  horse  is  working. 

C.  H.  Pearson,  Los  Alamos,  Cal.  " 


IMPROVED  DOMESTIC  BREEDS  OF  HORSES  13 

der,  wiry,  and  active.  Superfluous  flesh  is  objectionable.  Weight 
enough  to  carry  a  rider  or  draw  a  light  vehicle  at  speed  is  sufficient. 
From  1 000  to  1 200  pounds  weight  is  adequate  to  the  require- 
ments for  the  class.  The  prime  requisite  is  great  speed  and  en- 
durance. 

In  the  coach  class  less  speed  and  more  weight  are  desirable. 
Coach  horses  should  be  active  and  enduring  enough  to  draw  a 
heavy  carriage  at  speed,  but  must  be  larger,  more  compactly  made 
and  smoother  in  appearance  than  the  extreme  speed  type.  This 
class  should  show  quality  and  finish  and  possess  high  attractive 
action. 

Draft  horses  require  heavy  weight  and  compactness.  They 
must  be  powerfully  muscled  and  low  built.  They  are  useful  to 
draw  heavy  loads  at  a  walking  pace,  and  therefore  do  not  need 
speed,  which  is  sacrificed  for  power. 

Pony  breeds  are  used  mainly  as  toy  horses,  or  children's  play- 
things. There  are  few  places  where  larger  horses  would  not  be 
preferable,  and  yet  under  certain  conditions  they  have  proved  to 
be  superior  to  the  heavier  and  more  expensive  types  of  horses. 
They  are  often  well  adapted  to  subsist  upon  scanty  food  supplies, 
which  have  greatly  reduced  their  size. 

Bickmore's  Gall  Cure 

Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  is  an  ointment  for  the  cure  of  minor 
wounds  and  sores  upon  animals.  While  we  call  it  a  Gall  Cure, 
its  use  is  not  confined  to  harness  chafes  and  collar  galls,  as  it  is  a 
healing  salve  of  great  merit  for  any  of  the  many  hurts  and  sores 
that  all  animal  flesh  falls  heir  to.  Wire  cuts  are  too  frequent  on 
both  horses  and  cows ;  for  them  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  starts  the 
healing  process  promptly  and  quickly  perfects  a  cure.  Rope  burns 
are  bad  things  to  neglect  and  should  be  at  once  treated  with  Bick- 
more's Gall  Cure.  A  cure  is  guaranteed  or  the  purchase  price 
will  be  refunded  by  the  dealer.  Sometimes  a  horse  in  a  narrow 
stall  when  getting  up  suddenly  will  hit  his  hip  bone  against  the  wall, 
Never  whip  a  horse  when  he  is  trying  to  start  a  heavy  load.  Whipping 
wakes  him  nerooux  and  discourage*  him. 


14  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

making  a  bad  bruise.  For  this,  too,  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  should 
be  used.  Indifferent  handling  causes  trouble.  Frequently  horses 
after  being  driven  over  muddy  roads  are  put  into  the  stall  without 
washing  the  mud  away  carefully,  as  should  be  done.  Scratches 
result  which  may  be  easily  cured  by  using  our  remedy.  In  cold 
weather  some  cows  are  troubled  with  cracked  teats.  Milking 
causes  pain  and  sometimes  bleeding.  For  this  trouble  also  Bick- 
more's Gall  Cure  should  be  used.  While  the  average  man's  first 
thought  is  to  heal  the  sore  as  an  act  of  kindness  to  his  faithful  friend, 
the  stockman  who  conducts  his  business  on  strictly  business  lines 
should  also  take  prompt  steps  to  put  his  animals  in  perfect  condition. 
A  neglected  collar  gall  may  lay  up  his  best  horse  when  he  needs 
him  most.  It  is  surely  poor  business  to  let  a  horse  lie  idle  or  a  val- 
uable dairy  cow  suffer  when  the  small  price  of  a  box  of  Bickmore's 
Gall  Cure  will  cure  the  sore,  and  the  hair  will  grow  again  of  the 
original  color.  Neglected  harness  galls  frequently  cause  spots  of 
white  hair  that  depreciate  the  value  of  the  horse.  For  bruises 
where  the  skin  is  knocked  off,  for  minor  wounds,  for  open  sores 
upon  any  kind  of  an  animal,  use  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure.  We 
promise  you  that  it  will  make  a  cure  or  you  may  have  your  money 
back. 

Arabian  and  Barbary  Horses 

The  desert  countries  of  northern  Africa  and  southwestern  Asia 
are  the  home  of  some  of  the  best  horses  in  the  world.  Perhaps 
this  was  formerly  truer  than  it  is  at  the  present  time.  In  these 
countries  the  horse  and  his  rider  become  more  intimate  and  insep- 
arable than  in  America  or  Europe,  as  travel  on  horseback  is  there 
the  rule.  Railroads  are  rare  and  even  good  highways  and  wheeled 
vehicles  are  not  in  general  use.  It  must  at  once  be  evident  that 
the  breeding,  development  and  training  of  his  horse  are  to  the 
Arabian  or  Berber  matters  of  deepest  concern.  While  we  are 

' '  Your  Gall  Cure  has  given  perfect  satisfaction  to  men  on  farms  and  grad- 
ing on  railroads,  They  say  it  is  the  best, 

W,  A.  Langley,  Franksville,  Wis," 


ARABIAN  AND  BARBARY  HORSES  15 

wont  to  speak  of  Arabian  horses  as  one  breed,  in  their  native  coun- 
try many  breeds  or  families  are  known,  but  as  the  general  and 
almost  exclusive  use  of  all  these  is  the  same,  namely,  for  the  saddle, 
it  follows  that  there  is  essential  similarity  between  them  all,  and 
there  is  wanting  that  variety  of  type  characteristic  of  the  horses  of 
western  Europe  and  Great  Britain. 

The  origin  of  these  horses  is  lost  in  the  blank  of  fathomless 
antiquity.  They  form  a  starting  point  in  many  instances  for  the 
history  of  other  breeds,  but  their  own  origin  will  probably  never 
be  known.  In  a  letter  to  the  French  general,  E.  Daumas,  who 
for  many  years  held  important  posts  in  Algeria  and  the  Barbary 
states,  and  who  has  written  an  excellent  account  of  desert  manners 
and  horses,*  the  illustrious  Mossulman,  Emir  Abd-el-Kader,  writes 
in  these  terms  concerning  the  origin  of  their  horses :  "  Know  then 
that  among  us  it  is  admitted  that  Allah  created  the  horse  out  of  the 
wind,  as  he  created  Adam  out  of  mud.  ....  When  Allah  willed 
to  create  the  horse,  he  said  to  the  south  wind, '  I  will  that  a  creature 
should  proceed  from  thee  ;  condense  thyself ! '  and  the  wind  con- 
densed itself Allah  created  the  horse  before  man,  and  the 

proof  is  that  man  being  a  superior  creature,  Allah  would  give  unto 
him  all  that  he  would  require  before  creating  himself." 

Certain  it  is  that  the  history  of  Egypt  and  the  countries  to  the 
east  mention  the  horse  as  a  subject  of  man,  under  the  saddle  and 
before  the  chariot  at  least  eighteen  centuries  before  our  era,  and  it 
seems  probable  that  for  forty  centuries  the  ancestry  of  the  modern 
Arabian  and  Barbary  horses  have  ministered  to  man's  needs  in 
northern  Africa  and  western  Asia.  It  is  not  unlikely  that  the 
chariot  horses  of  the  Pharaohs  and  the  riding  animals  of  the  con- 
temporary desert  chiefs  were  similar  to  those  now  found  in  the 
same  region.  The  famous  and  well-known  picture  of  Pharaoh's 
horses  is  a  good  representation  of  the  Barbary  breeds. 

Much  care  is  bestowed  upon  the  breeding,  rearing  and  training 
*  "  Horses  of  the  Sahara." 

Jl  horse  naturally  feeds  from  the  ground  —  put  the  hay  on  the  floor. 


16  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

of  desert  horses.  Their  pedigree  traces  through  the  mare  rather 
than  the  sire,  as  with  us,  and  in  many  instances  these  horse  gene- 
alogies have  been  preserved  f«r  centuries.  The  foals  are  members 
of  the  family  from  birth  and  their  training  very  carefully  attended 
to.  Their  education  begins  when  they  are  two  years  old  and  is 
not  considered  finished  until  they  are  thoroughly  manageable,  not 
only  under  ordinary  conditions,  but  respond  readily  to  bit  and  spur 
in  difficult  and  dangerous  country  under  fire.  Their  training  also 
involves  a  thorough  seasoning  and  conditioning  until  they  can  safely 
take  journeys  of  thirty  to  fifty  leagues  in  a  day.  Almost  incredible 
distances  are  said  to  be  traversed  by  these  horses  under  extraordi- 
nary circumstances,  illustrative  of  which  the  following  is  recited :  A 
man  of  the  tribe  of  Arbaa  was  the  owner  of  a  beautiful  mare, 
"  gray  stone  of  the  river,"  known  throughout  the  Sahara,  named 
Mordjana.  In  a  quarrel  with  the  Turks  at  Berouaguia",  twenty- 
seven  leagues  south  of  Algiers,  it  became  his  lot  to  sacrifice  his 
treasured  steed  for  the  peace  of  his  tribe.  To  save  his  valued 
mare  he  called  his  son  aside  and  charged  him  at  night-fall  to  steal 
her  away  and  ride  to  the  southward  through  the  desert  to  a  place 
of  safety.  Having  fed  the  mare  the  lad  at  earliest  night-fall  sad- 
dled and  rode  away  with  his  arms,  at  a  pace  making  pursuit  futile, 
until,  the  night  two-thirds  gone,  he  laid  down  to  sleep  under  a 
dwarf  palm.  After  an  hour's  sleep  he  awoke,  his  steed  having 
eaten  the  leaves  from  the  shrub,  and  continued  the  flight.  At 
dawn  he  reached  Souagui,  thirty-one  leagues  from  the  starting 
point.  Urging  on  the  mare,  he  watered  at  Sid  Bouzid,  twenty-five 
leagues  furthur,  and  offered  up  the  evening  prayer  at  Leghouat, 
twenty-four  leagues  beyond,  having  ridden  eighty  leagues  (240 
miles)  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  Numerous  similar  accounts  qf  the 
wonderful  endurance  of  these  horses  are  related,  which  time  forbids 
us  to  recount. 

These  oriental  horses  are  not  large,  standing   about  fourteen  or 

"Have  used  your  Qall  Cure  for  years  and  find  it  the  best. 

&C.  Hughes,  Salinas,  Cal" 


ARABIAN  AND  BARBARY  HORSES 


17 


fifteen  hands  high  as  a  rule,  and  seldom  weighing  more  than  one 
thousand  pounds.  In  color  they  are  dark  bay  or  chestnut,  and 
often  white  or  gray,  the  grays  having  been  rather  prominent  among 
those  brought  to  western  Europe  to  improve  the  Percheron  and 
other  breeds.  They  are  of  slender  build,  free  from  superfluous  flesh 
and  fat,  and  yet  well  turned,  with  good  width  of  leg  and  depth  of 
chest.  They  are  noted  for  swiftness,  endurance,  intelligence,  ability 


ARABIAN  STALLION,  SHAHWAN 

to  stand  privation  of  food,  water  or  rest.  Few  if  any  European  or 
English  horses  could  compete,  even  for  a  short  time,  with  these 
Arabs  or  Barbs  in  forced  marches,  carrying  their  food  or  subsisting 
on  the  country. 

Their  value  has  been  inestimable  as  a  factor  in  improving  the 

"  £A£o  hoof,  no  horse,  "is  a  true  saying. 


18  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

English  thoroughbred,  the  Percheron,  the  German  coacher,  the 
Orloff,  and  the  American  trotter.  And  yet  they  are  hardly 
adapted  directly  to  the  work  of  the  horses  of  the  Occident.  In 
their  own  sphere  of  action  they  stand  unrivaled.  They  have  con- 
tributed much  to  the  excellence  of  our  modern  breeds ;  but  the 
day  has  long  passed  since  Arabian  or  Barbary  crosses  promised 
any  advantage  to  horses  of  the  western  world.  In  America  they 
have  degenerated  by  neglect  into  the  mustang  of  the  plains.  The 
mustang,  as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  traces  his  lineage  to  Moorish 
horses  through  those  brought  to  Spain  by  the  Saracen  conquerors, 
and  possesses  unmistakable  relationship  to  his  more  highly  bred 
ancestors. 

Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  —  How  Put  Up 

Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  is  put  up  in  tin  boxes.  For  the  average 
buyer  we  recommend  our  two-ounce  box,  selling  at  dealer's  at  25 
cents  each.  For  a  man  having  more  use  for  a  healing  ointment, 
our  six-ounce  box,  retailing  at  50  cents  each,  is  cheaper  to  buy, 
while  for  the  large  consumer  we  have  a  one-pound  box  which  sells 
for  one  dollar  each.  There  are  thousands  upon  thousands  of  retail 
dealers  selling  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  in  all  parts  of  this  country,  but 
it  sometimes  happens  that  a  stockman  can  not  easily  procure  our 
remedy,  and  to  such  we  will  supply  it  at  our  regular  retail  prices, 
delivered  by  mail.  In  dozen  lots  we  will  deliver  the  two-ounce 
size  for  $2.25  per  dozen,  the  six-ounce  size  for  $4.50  per  dozen 
and  the  sixteen-ounce  size  for  $9  per  dozen,  cash  with  order. 

Large  consumers  should  buy  in  dozen  lots,  either  of  dealers  or 
of  us,  and  save  this  liberal  discount  we  make  for  large  orders. 

English  Thoroughbred 

As  its  name  indicates  this  breed  is  of  English  derivation,  and  the 

word  thoroughbred,  originally  used  as  an  adjective,  has  long  since 

become  a  part  of   the  name  of  these  horses.     From  the  fact  that 

' '  Have  used  your  Gall  Cure  for  some  time  in  our  outfit  and  find  it  away 

ahead  of  all  others  we  have  used. 

3KCcLonald,  McMillan  Co.,  Camp  <2V£o.  3,  Edrans,  Man.,  Can,  " 


ENGLISH  THOROUGHBRED  19 

these  were  the  first  English  animals  to  be  bred  pure  the  word  has 
been  virtually  preempted  to  this  use,  to  the  exclusion  of  other  kinds 
of  live  stock.  And  it  is  not  now  considered  in  good  form  to  use 
the  word  thoroughbred  with  any  class  of  animals  except  this  breed 
of  horses. 

This  is  a  very  old  English  breed  and  dates  from  before  the  time 
of  William  the  Conqueror,  who  became  king  of  England  in  1 066. 
It  was  the  outgrowth  of  the  sport  of  hunting  and  running  horses 
under  the  saddle.  Saddle  racing,  while  quite  different  from  the 
lance  combats  of  mounted  knights  in  armor  and  requiring  a  different 
type  of  mount,  was  little  if  any  later,  and  perhaps  even  earlier,  in 
point  of  time.  At  all  events,  as  early  as  the  eleventh  century  horse 
racing  was  a  common  pastime  among  the  gentry.  That  this  sport 
enhances  the  value  of  swift  runners  admits  of  no  question.  The 
fleetest  horses  wherever  found  were  in  demand.  Mares  of  the 
running  type  in  England  and  France  were  the  foundation  upon 
which  the  modern  breed  has  been  reared. 

The  great  improving  factor  in  this  breed  was  Arabian  or  Bar- 
bary  crosses.  It  is  likely  that  the  crusades  were  the  cause  of  the 
Arabian  horses  first  coming  to  western  Europe,  and  though  the  exact 
time  is  uncertain,  it  was  probably  near  the  beginning  of  the  twelfth 
century  when  the  first  disastrous  crusade,  led  by  Peter  the  Hermit, 
took  place.  Many  returning  crusaders  in  later  years  must  have 
left  their  chargers'  bones  on  the  battle  field  or  the  line  of  march, 
and  returned  with  steeds  from  the  lands  through  which  they 
passed.  At  all  events  the  value  of  the  Arabian  cross  became  ap- 
parent at  a  very  early  date. 

Even  before  the  crusades  a  Moslem  army  from  Spain  under 
Abderame  III  was  defeated  in  southern  France  by  Charles  Martel 
in  732,  and  again  in  743.  The  defeated  Saracen  armies  numbered 
over  three  hundred  thousand  men  and  a  large  force  of  Arab  cav- 
alry. Many  of  the  horses  of  the  defeated  Moslems  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  French  and  have  had  an  important  influence  upon  the 

When  training  a  colt,  drive  him  with  a  fast  waller. 


20  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

subsequent  French  breeds  of  horses.  It  is  probable  that  William 
I,  in  introducing  French  manners  and  customs,  and  even  the  French 
language,  into  the  English  court,  did  not  neglect  the  descendants 
of  these  Arabian  horses,  which  had  become  so  valuable  in  France. 
Before  the  time  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  who  was  born  in  1 599, 
the  word  thoroughbred  was  commonly  used  to  designate  these 
highly-bred  running  horses.  A  famous  sire  in  Cromwell's  time, 


GODOLPHIN,  THOROUGHBRED 

imported  by  Mr.  Place,  the  lord  protector's  stud  groom,  was 
known  as  Place's  White  Turk.  After  the  restoration  Charles  II 
continued  the  executive  interest  and  imported  four  royal  mares 
from  Barbary.  Perhaps  the  most  famous  of  the  Oriental  sires 
were  the  Byerly  Turk,  Captain  Byerly's  charger,  1 689,  famous 
for  his  fleetness ;  Darley  Arabian,  brought  from  the  desert  of  Pal- 
myra in  1  700,  and  Godolphin  Barb,  which  was  brought  from 
the  coast  of  Africa  about  1  728. 

"Farmers  here  think  Bic^more's  Gall  Cure  is  one  of  the  necessities,  as  this 
country  is  hard  on  horses.  D.  JXC.  Ure,  JXCorris,  JXCan.,  Canada.'' 


ENGLISH  THOROUGHBRED  21 

Godolphin  was  taken  from  a  water  cart  in  Paris  and  used  as  a 
teaser  in  one  of  the  prominent  breeding  establishments  in  England, 
where  he  might  have  died  unknown  had  he  not  been  allowed  to 
cover  a  mare  which  the  leading  stud  sire  had  refused.  The  prog- 
eny of  this  mating  was  such  a  noted  winner  that  his  sire  was 
thenceforth  generously  patronized  and  has  become  one  of  the  most 
famous  progenitors  of  them  all. 

Among  the  most  noted  racers  of  the  eighteenth  century  were 
Flying  Childers,  which  in  1  72 1  ran  the  Beacon  Course,  4  miles, 
1  furlong  and  1  38  yards,  in  seven  minutes  and  thirty  seconds, 
carrying  nine  stone  and  two  pounds,  equivalent  to  an  even  four 
miles  in  four  minutes  and  eight  seconds,  or  one  minute  and  forty- 
seven  seconds  to  the  mile  for  the  entire  distance.  Flying  Childers 
was  esteemed  the  fastest  runner  of  his  day  and  inasmuch  as  the 
record  for  modern  runners,  held  by  Ten  Broeck,  and  made  in 
1 886  in  seven  minutes  and  fifteen  and  three-fourth  seconds, — 
eight  seconds  slower  than  the  foregoing, —  it  appears  that  running 
speed  has  not  increased  in  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  years,  and 
that  the  speed  limit  of  that  gait  was  therefore  reached  almost  two 
centuries  ago. 

Matchem,  a  descendant  of  Godolphin,  ran  the  Beacon  Course 
in  seven  minutes  and  twenty  seconds, —  ten  seconds  faster  than 
Flying  Childers,  carrying  nine  pounds  less  weight,  which  would 
make  the  two  records  of  about  equal  value,  and  the  modern  cham- 
pion still  more  at  a  disadvantage  by  comparison.  Matchem  was 
also  the  sire  of  354  winners,  whose  earnings  amounted  to  over 
£1 50,000.  He  himself  earned  £l  7,000  in  the  stud. 

Eclipse,  foaled  during  the  eclipse  in  1  764,  of  the  Darley  Ara- 
bian family,  was  noted  as  the  unbeaten  racer  of  his  day.  So 
invincible  was  he  esteemed  that  he  ended  a  racing  career  of  sev- 
enteen months,  during  which  time  he  won  £25,000,  by  walking 
over  the  Newmarket  course  without  a  competitor.  Retired  to  the 
stud,  Eclipse  begot  334  winners  of  £16,000.  King  Herod, 

Dusty  hay  should  be  sprinkled  u)itb  Tsater  when  it  is  fed  to  the  horse. 


22  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

descended  from  Byerly  Turk  and  Darley  Arabian,  was  another 
noted  racer  and  sire.  His  progeny  numbered  49  7  winners  of 
£201,505.  Sampson,  a  descendant  of  Darley  Arabian  through 
Flying  Childers,  was  a  Thoroughbred  with  trotting  instead  of  run- 
ning propensities.  Sampson  was  the  grandsire  of  imported  Mam- 
brino,  whose  son,  imported  Messenger,  was  the  great  progenitor 
of  the  American  trotting  horses. 

While  the  English  Thoroughbred  may  not  have  increased  in 
speed  since  the  days  of  the  great  Flying  Childers  in  1  720,  he 
certainly  has  not  suffered  in  popular  estimation,  or  in  the  value  in 
which  he  is  held.  In  support  of  this  assertion  attention  is  called 
to  the  sale  of  the  stud  of  the  late  Duke  of  Westminster  in  1 903, 
when  Mons.  E.  Blanc  paid  in  English  guineas  the  equivalent  of 
$191,500  for  Flying  Fox.  Good  judges  have  pronounced  this 
horse  the  best  that  ever  wore  plates. 

The  Duke  of  Westminster  also  originally  owned  another  horse, 
ORMOND,  which  carried  his  colors  to  triple  honors  in  the  Derby, 
the  Two  Thousand  Guinea  and  the  St.  Ledger,  in  1 896,  which 
was  sold  to  W.  O'B.  Macdonough  for  $1  50,000,  the  next  highest 
price  ever  paid  for  a  horse. 

The  running  records  for  various  distances  are  given  as  follows : 
/^  mile 

1  mile 

2  mile 

3  mile 

4  mile 

Description  and   Characteristics 

The  English  Thoroughbred  is  of  various  colors,  generally  dark 

and  prevailingly  bay,  frequently  with  white  marks  on  face  and  legs. 

He  is  tall  and  slender,  standing  about  1  6  hands  at  an  average,  and 

weighing  from  1  000  to  1  200  pounds. 

His  head  is  fine  and  lean,  with  an  expression  of  extreme  mettle 
**  Am  a  farmer,     liaise  some  horses.     Have  used  your  Qall   Cure  and 

find  it  all  and  more  than  it  is  recommended. 

Jacob  Bettinger,  Chittenango,  N.  Y." 


Geraldine 

•(4) 

0  m.  46      s. 

1889 

Salvator 

(4) 

1  m.  35^  s. 

1890 

Ten  Broeck 

(5) 

3  m.  27^  s. 

1887 

Drake  Carter 

(4) 

5  m.  24       s. 

1884 

Ten  Broeck 

(4) 

7m.  15^  s. 

1886 

DESCRIPTION  AND  CHARACTERISTICS  23 

and  fire.  His  neck  is  long  and  slender,  fine  at  the  throttle,  and 
not  high-crested.  His  shoulders  are  long  and  oblique  ;  chest  deep 
but  not  wide,  and  loins  powerfully  muscled.  His  croup  is  some- 
what level  above  long,  muscular  quarters.  His  legs  are  fine  and 
muscular  above,  and  fine  and  clean  below  the  knee  and  hock. 
His  characteristics  are : 

1 .  Supreme  speed  at  a  running  gait. 

2.  Great  bottom  and   endurance  for  long  races  and  journeys 
under  the  saddle. 

3.  Tremendous  fire  and  mettle  which  he  imparts  to  all  breeds 
upon  which  he  is  crossed. 

4.  A  nervous  temperament  and  an  intelligent  disposition. 

The  English  Thoroughbred  is  known  in  America  to  a  less 
extent  than  in  England,  but  he  has  been  a  prominent  factor  in  the 
formation  and  improvement  of  all  our  trotting  and  saddle  breeds  of 
horses.  The  French  coach  breed  partakes  largely  of  his  blood. 
The  Hackney  was  improved  by  Thoroughbred  crosses.  Our  best 
saddle  breeds  own  the  Thoroughbred  as  an  important  element  in 
their  origin. 

The  best  hunters  and  cavalry  horses  carry  a  good  percentage 
of  Thoroughbred  blood.  As  an  improving  factor  on  all  speed 
horses  his  influence  is  incalculable.  As  a  saddle  racer  he  is 
supreme. 

The  American  Saddler 

The  gaited  saddle  horse  of  America  has  been  produced  because 
of  a  revival  of  saddle  riding  among  people  of  wealth  and  social  promi- 
nence, and  a  certain  originality  of  thought  which  has  found  a  greater 
elegance  and  attractiveness  in  riding  at  other  gaits  than  the  walk, 
trot,  canter  horses  can  show.  Just  as  the  Narragansett  pacer  was 
produced  in  the  colonial  days  of  saddle  and  pillion,  to  meet  the 
then  existing  conditions  of  travel,  when  roads  were  mere  bridle 


A  stable  should  not  be  dark  >   admit  the  light. 


24 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


paths  through  the  forest  and  wheeled  vehicles  were  rare ;  just  as 
the  Cleveland  Bay,  developed  as  a  public  post-horse  in  coaching 
days  before  railroads  were  built,  was  nearly  lost  when  his  place 
was  taken  by  the  steam  locomotive,  but  has  lately  been  revived  for 
the  growing  needs  of  express  delivery  ;  so  the  American  Saddler  is 
becoming  an  established  breed  to  meet  conditions  demanding  riding 
animals  of  the  qualities  he  possesses. 


GORGEOUS  GIPSY  QUEEN,  AMERICAN  SADDLER 

His  history  as  a  breed  is  short,  being  practically  measured  by  a 
quarter  of  a  century  of  time,  for  the  American  Saddle  Horse 
Breeders'  Association  was  not  organized  until  1 89 1 .  The  Ameri- 

"  /  Jon 't  hesitate  to  recommend  your  Gall  Cure.  I  have  used  it  on  saddle 
horses  on  large  ranches  in  the  West  and  know  its  merits. 

Fred  P.  Jones,   {Bradley,  Ind.  Ter.  " 


AMERICAN  SADDLER'  25 

can  seat,  as  represented  by  the  cowboy  of  the  western  plains  with 
long  stirrup  straps,  and  no  daylight  between  the  horse  and  his  rider, 
differs  essentially  from  that  affected  by  the  English  rider,  with  his 
short  stirrups  and  constant  up-and-down  motion.  That  the  Ameri- 
can seat  is  easier  to  both  horse  and  rider  and  more  elegant  hardly 
needs  assertion.  The  trot  has  been  found  unsuited  to  the  saddle 
by  comparison  with  other  gaits,  such  as  the  pace  and  canter,  and 
most  emphatically  as  compared  to  the  single-foot  or  running  walk. 

The  main  elements  of  blood  in  the  American  saddler  are  the 
Thoroughbred,  especially  that  of  the  stallion  Denmark  by  imported 
Hedgeford ;  and  American  trotting  mares,  particularly  those  of 
pacing  families  like  the  Tom  Hals.  To  this  blood  has  also  been 
added  that  of  some  of  the  best  saddle  horses  of  the  western  plains 
and  Kentucky.  Among  the  mustangs  there  has  been  found  occa- 
sionally a  beautifully  gaited  single-footer,  whose  character  has 
aided  in  transmitting  the  gait  to  the  new  breed.  It  will  be  seen 
that  the  saddler  is  strictly  a  warm-blooded  horse,  somewhat  of  the 
Thoroughbred  type,  but  rather  more  compactly  made  and  lofty  in 
carriage  and  action.  Elegance  of  manners  and  style  of  action  are 
esteemed  of  greater  value  than  finish  and  smoothness  of  conforma- 
tion ;  and  yet  in  these  last  particulars  he  is  more  uniformly  excellent 
than  the  Thoroughbred  or  the  American  trotter. 

It  is  mainly  the  ability  to  go  the  regulation  five  gaits  that  deter- 
mines the  eligibility  of  a  saddler  to  registration  in  the  stud  book  of 
the  breed.  Concerning  gaits,  we  are  familiar  with  the  walk  and 
canter,  and  the  trot,  which  is  sometimes  called  the  diagonal  gait 
because  the  legs  on  opposite  corners  move  in  unison,  i.  e.,  the  left 
fore  leg  with  the  right  hind  leg,  and  the  right  fore  leg  with  the  left 
hind  leg.  In  the  pace  both  right  legs  move  in  unison  and  both 
left  the  same,  which  has  given  rise  to  the  term  "  lateral  gaited,"  or 
"  side-wheelers." 

The  pride  of  all  the  gaits  is  the  single-foot,  most  elegant  and 
essential  to  standing  in  the  breed.  In  this  gait  there  is  the  same 

Ventilation  is  very  important ;  £eep  the  air  in  the  stable  pure. 


26  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

interval  between  each  of  the  footfalls.  In  the  fox  trot  the  fore  foot 
touches  the  ground  slightly  in  advance  of  its  opposite  hind  foot  ; 
and  it  is,  like  the  fast  walk  or  slow  pace,  an  all-day  gait  of  six  or 
seven  miles  an  hour. 

In  the  running  walk  the  hind  foot  strikes  the  ground  slightly 
quicker  than  its  opposite  fore  foot.  In  it  the  head  is  carried  higher 
and  the  rein  tighter  than  in  the  fox  trot  or  rack.  The  single-foot 
and  running  walk  are  fast  elegant  gaits  and  capable  of  ten  miles  an 
hour  up  to  a  mile  in  tliree  minutes. 

In  the  rack  or  slow  pace  the  hind  foot  strikes  the  ground  an 
instant  before  the  fore  foot.  Here  then  is  an  assortment  of  eight 
gaits,  five  of  which,  including  the  pace  and  single-foot,  are  required 
for  admission  to  the  breed. 

Of  the  conformation  of  these  horses  little  more  need  be  said. 
They  are  in  a  sense  between  the  Thoroughbred  and  the  trotter. 
They  ought  to  be  of  \5/4  to  1  6%  hands  in  height  and  of  a  de- 
sirable color,  and  up  to  weight  for  carrying  a  two-hundred  pound 
man,  but  gaits  and  manners  are  the  prime  essentials  of  the  breed. 

An  Apt  Trade  Mark 

To  select  a  trade  mark  for  our  new  possession,  n  Bickmore's 
Gall  Cure,"  was  a  puzzling  task  for  us  in  1  892,  when  we  com- 
menced business.  The  ointment  had  shown  itself  to  be  good  and 
we  were  anxious  the  packages  should  have  some  distinguishing 
feature  that  would  enable  them  to  be  recognized  at  sight  by  any 
and  every  one,  whether  ignorant  or  informed.  A  happy  thought 
came  to  us  :  Use  Doctor's  picture  and  have  it  taken  when  he  was 
in  action  drawing  a  load.  How  simple,  yet  how  plainly  it  would 
illustrate  the  then  unheard-of  fact  that  a  gall  could  be  cured  by  using 
our  salve  while  the  horse  was  worked.  This  we  did  and  our  old 


Gall  Cure  is  a  very  excellent  article  for  wounds  or  sores  on 
animals.     Have  found  it  a  very  good  salve  for  "mounds  on  humans. 

Martin  Esser,  'Poseyville,  Ind.  " 


DOCTOR  27 

friend's  picture  proved  to  be  one  of  the  happiest  hits  for  a  trade 
mark  ever  recorded. 


THE  OLD  GRAY  HORSE  AT  WORK 

Doctor 

Doctor  came  to  us  from  the  West,  a  barefoot  youngster,  fresh 
from  the  farm.  He  was  a  dapple  gray,  of  good  height,  with  a 
deep  chest,  powerful  legs  and  broad  back,  one  of  that  type  of 
heavy  draught  horses  developed  by  Western  breeders.  He  was 
tractable,  good  natured  and  willing.  Strength  he  had  in  abun- 
dance, coupled  with  the  good  horse  sense  to  use  it  to  advantage. 

The  numerous  requirements  of  a  large  manufacturing  business 
and  training  in  good  hands  speedily  brought  out  his  many  good 
qualities,  so  that  when  any  special  hard  task  was  to  be  accomplished 
no  other  horse  but  Doctor  would  answer.  One  of  his  tasks  was  to 
draw  coal  from  the  pit  up  into  the  boiler  room.  Small  dump  cars 
were  used,  running  over  a  narrow  guage  track  that  ended  directly 

See  that  the  collar  fits  your  horse 's  shoulders  properly  or  you  Will  have  to 
buy  a  box  of  ^ic^more  's  Gall  Cure. 


28  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

in  front  of  the  boiler  doors.  On  the  inside  of  the  track,  some  five 
feet  above  the  coal  heap,  was  a  plank  just  wide  enough  for  a  horse 
to  stand  upon  while  the  cars  were  run  by  him  and  dumped  before 
the  further  boiler.  To  see  him  drag  in  the  heavy  load  and,  with- 
out word  from  the  driver,  step  aside  upon  the  narrow  bridge  out 
of  the  way  of  the  cars  was  enough  to  cause  one  to  form  a  higher 
opinion  of  man's  most  faithful  servant.  On  cold,  stormy  days  in 
winter  his  warm  perch  on  the  plank  was  so  much  more  to  his  liking 
than  the  outside  air  that  in  the  lulls  of  the  work  it  was  customary 
to  allow  him  to  stay  inside.  The  glare  from  the  open  furnace 
doors  so  near,  the  roar  of  the  escaping  steam  when  the  boilers  blew 
off  were  not  enough  to  disturb  his  period  of  rest.  It  was  interest- 
ing to  see  him  handle  a  loaded  freight  car.  The  magnificent  ex- 
hibition of  strength  to  start  the  ponderous  load  along  the  rails,  and 
the  nicely  applied  and  steady  pull  to  barely  keep  the  car  in  motion 
afterwards  was  but  another  evidence  of  his  unusual  intelligence. 
In  common  with  some  of  the  other  horses,  Doctor  soon  learned 
the  meaning  of  the  noon  whistle,  and  the  hungriest  man  in  the  crew 
was  not  more  averse  to  working  over  time  than  was  he. 

Doctor  has  passed  to  his  well-earned  rest.  A  busy  life  he  had, 
crowded  with  hard  tasks  well  performed.  He  was  worthy  of  the 
honor  we  bestowed  upon  him.  His  picture  has  interested  many  a 
horse  owner  in  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure ;  has  been  seen  and  recog- 
nized by  thousands  in  other  lands  who  can  not  read  these  words, 
but  who  can  and  do  remember  "  The  Old  Gray  Horse  at  Work." 

We  revere  Doctor's  memory. 

The  American  Trotter 

The  standard  trotting  horse  of  America  is  essentially  the  product 
of  American  notions  and  of  conditions  developed  by  American 

' '  One  o/'  my  customers  has  just  cured  his  horse  of  a  stick  fast.  After 
using  other  cures  I  induced  him  to  try  $ickmore  's.  Inside  of  ten  days  the 
horse  was  well ;  worked  him  continually. 

E.  T>.  Baum,  326  Flushing  Ave. ,  Brooklyn,  3\£.   Y." 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER  29 

institutions.  Harness  racing  is  more  than  anything  else  responsible 
for  the  present  characters  of  the  trotter,  just  as  saddle  racing  in 
England  gave  his  qualities  to  the  Thoroughbred.  There  are  cer- 
tain institutions  that  are  peculiarly  American.  The  great  national 
sport  of  baseball  is  a  notable  example,  and  it  differs  essentially  from 
the  games  of  ball  played  in  other  countries.  Harness  racing,  mile 
heats,  best  three  in  five  by  classes,  is  another  great  national  sport. 
To  play  this  game,  speed  at  the  trot  (or  pace)  is  the  prime  requi- 
site. The  bike-sulky,  appliances  of  harness  and  boots,  parlor 
tracks,  a  perfect  system  of  training  and  conditioning,  skilful  driving, 
all  important  factors  in  winning  the  game,  become  impotent  with- 
out the  inherent  ability  of  the  horse  to  trot  fast.  Every  effort  on 
the  part  of  those  engaged  in  the  trotting  game  has  been  bent 
toward  producing  a  horse  that  can  trot  a  race  of  mile  heats  faster 
than  his  competitors.  Hundreds  of  local  and  state  associations 
hold  race  meetings,  at  which  liberal  purses  tempt  the  efforts  of 
trotting-horse  men  to  win,  and  even  racing  circuits  of  national 
character  engage  the  interest  of  horsemen  week  by  week  for  a 
season  of  several  months  each  year.  It  has  therefore  become  the 
regular  business  of  a  prominent  class  of  men  to  develop  and  race 
the  best  of  our  trotting  horses,  and  it  has  become  the  business  of  a 
still  greater  class  to  breed  and  rear  horses  of  the  type  that  wins 
races  and  which  command  long  prices  as  a  racing  prospect. 

It  is  not  alone  the  race  tracks  that  make  a  demand  for  trotting 
horses.  Many  men  of  wealth  enjoy  light  buggy  driving  behind  a 
good  stepper,  and  a  n  brush  down  the  road "  with  a  rival.  In 
America  racing  horses  in  harness  is  a  mania,  and  thousands  of 
young  horsemen  take  delight  in  "  giving  their  dust "  to  others  whom 
they  come  across  upon  the  road.  Many  of  these  live  upon  farms 
with  more  or  less  favorable  opportunities  for  breeding  their  own 
horses,  which  are  embraced  with  alacrity.  There  is  always  the 
added  reason,  or  excuse,  that  the  successful  venture  will  bring  a 
good  price  when  sold.  The  American  Trotter  is  more  than  any- 

"Oariety  in  feed  is  most  agreeable  and  in  evert/  way  best  for  the  horse, 


30 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


thing  else  the  legitimate  product  of  these  conditions. 

The  blood  elements  in  his  formation  are  also  of  great  interest  to 
the  student.  It  is  mainly  to  the  Thoroughbred  influence  that  the 
speed  of  the  trotter  is  due.  We  have  already  seen  that  the  Thor- 
oughbred has  been  bred  and  developed  for  centuries  for  his 
supreme  speed  at  the  running  gait.  From  him  the  American 
Trotter  gets  speed.  By  careful  training  and  selection  the  gait  has 
been  changed  to  the  trot,  which  is  more  suitable  to  harness  uses. 


MESSENGER,  TROTTER 

Of  the  noted  individuals  that  have  contributed  to  the  blood  of  the 
trotter,  imported  MESSENGER,  stands  first  and  foremost.  Per- 
haps it  would  not  be  inaccurate  to  assert  that  the  influence  of  Mes- 

' '  Have  been  selling  your  Qall  Cure  for  eleven  years  and  have  never  yet 
found  a  case  it  did  not  help. 

\V.  IV.  Stevens  &  Co.,  Danbury,  Conn.  " 


^^P^v 

OF  THE     "     ^JL 

UNIVERSITY! 

:HE  AMERICAN  TOOTTER 


senger  surpasses  that  of  all  other  horses  in  producing  trotting  supe- 
riority. Messenger  was  foaled  in  1  780  and  imported  to  America 
in  1  788.  He  was  a  Thoroughbred  by  Mambrino,  by  Engineer, 
by  Sampson,  by  Blaze  (?),  by  Flying  Childers,  by  Darley  Arabian. 
Messenger's  dam  was  by  Turf,  by  Matchem,  by  Cade,  out  of 
dam  by  Regulus,  both  by  Godolphin  Barb.  Perhaps  the  trotting 
propensities  of  the  Messenger  family  come  through  Sampson,  who 
is  described  as  a  horse  of  unusual  size  and  power,  with  a  marked 
preference  for  the  trotting  gait.  So  strongly  was  this  trotting  ten- 
dency displayed  that  when  considered  with  his  size  and  conforma- 
tion, it  has  caused  some  horsemen  to  question  his  breeding,  sug- 
gesting that  he  may  have  been  got  by  a  coach  horse  instead  of  a 
Thoroughbred.  BELLFOUNDER  was  another  trotting  Thor- 
oughbred, foaled  in  1815,  imported  in  1 822,  got  by  Bellfounder 
out  of  Velocity  by  Sir  Peter,  out  of  Miss  Hervey  by  Eclipse. 
The  great  HAMBLETONIAN  family  of  trotters  was  founded 
by  Rysdeck's  Hambletonian  out  of  Bellfounder  mare  by  a  grand- 
son of  Messenger. 

MAMBRINO,  a  son  of  Messenger,  was  the  founder  of  the 
Mambrino  family. 

Space  forbids  us  to  dwell  at  length  upon  DUROC,  son  of 
Diomed,  a  Derby  winner,  and  Pilot,  a  French  Canadian  pacer, 
foaled  in  1  826,  and  Grand  Bashaw,  a  Barb  brought  from  Tripoli 
in  1820  ;  but  we  must  pause  to  make  mention  a  little  more  fully 
of  JUSTIN  MORGAN,  the  progenitor  of  the  Morgan  line. 

JUSTIN  MORGAN  was  foaled  in  1  793  near  Springfield, 
Mass.  He  was  probably  by  a  Thoroughbred  horse  (True  Briton 
or  Beautiful  Bay)  and  out  of  a  mare  said  to  carry  the  blood  of 
Lindsey  Arabian  in  her  veins.  Justin  Morgan  was  owned  for 
many  years  in  Middlebury,  Vt,  where  he  was  employed  about  a 
saw  mill,  in  addition  to  other  duties.  He  must  have  been  a  marvel 
of  versatility,  for  he  is  said  to  have  been  able  to  outwork,  outtrot, 
outrun,  and  outpull  any  horse  in  the  region.  Though  he  weighed 

Drainage  'is  important —  give  the  stall  flooring  a  slight  incline. 


32 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


but  950  pounds  he  performed,  in  addition  to  his  stud  duties,  regu- 
lar work  at  the  mill,  was  a  favorite  buggy  horse,  was  used  in  run- 
ning races  by  the  boys,  and  at  militia  muster  was  in  demand  as  an 
officer's  mount,  and  considered  the  handsomest,  proudest  charger 
in  the  troop.  Through  his  three  sons,  Sherman,  Bulrush  and 


L 


RYSDECK'S  HAMBLETONIAN,  TROTTER/ 

Woodbury,  he  left  a  highly-prized  family.  The  Sherman  branch 
was  represented  by  Black  Hawk,  Ethan  Allen  and  Daniel  Lam- 
bert. The  Morgan  family,  although  not  so  extremely  fast  for  a  single 
mile  as  the  Hambletonians,  are  generally  of  better  conformation 
for  service,  have  a  high  degree  of  mettle,  and  remarkable  bottom 
for  long  drives  or  years  of  use.  I  have  among  my  notes  the  tale 

' '  /  have  been  selling  Bickmore  's  Gall  Cure  for  ten  years.       The  ranchers 
here  won't  buy  anything  else.  John  3&adison,  Saticoy,  Cal.  " 


THE- AMERICAN  TROTTER 


33 


-  'of  Old  Billy, —  as  furnished  by  the  West  End  Street  Railway  Co. 
of  Boston  —  whose  skeleton  is  now  in  the  Boston  Natural  History 
Rooms.  Old  Billy  was  a  gray  horse  bred  in  Vermont,  of  Morgan 
stock,  and  weighed  1025  pounds.  He'jran  on  a  stage  until  nine 
years  old  and  then  passed  into  the  railroad  company's  hands, 
where  he  ran  between  Boston  and  Brookline  for  2  5  years.  He 


DANIEL  LAMBERT,  MORGAN 

never  lost  a  trip  through  sickness  or  disability,  and  is  computed  to 
have  traveled  over  125,000  miles  ahead  of  the  company's  cars. 
At  34  years  old  he  passed  into  the  hands  of  the  American  Express 
Co.  and  did  duty  on  a  feed  truck  in  their  stablps  until  he  died 
eight  years  later  in  his  forty-second  year,  Christmas,  1 890. 


jl  horse  stall  should  be  nine  feet  long  and  five  feet  Wide. 


34  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

The  Hambletonian  family,  already  alluded  to  as  founded  by 
Rysdeck's  Hambletonian,  is  the  most  important  family  of  trotters. 
Indeed,  practically  all  American  trotters  now  carry  a  considerable 
portion  of  this  blood.  The  leading  sons  of  Hambletonian  were, 
George  Wilkes,  Electioneer,  Alexander's  Abdallah,  Dictator  and 
Happy  Medium. 

Among  the  greatest  breeders  of  trotting  horses  the  late  Hon 
Leland  Stanford  of  Palo  Alto,  Cal.,  and  Cicero  J.  Hamlin  of 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  were  conspicuous. 

Trotting  speed  has  developed  within  a  century  in  a  marked 
degree,  as  shown  by  the  following  records  for  one  mile.  Although 
many  trotting  horses  in  America  and  Europe  had  shown  ability  to 
trot  races  of  four  to  twenty  miles  at  good  speed  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  and  perhaps  earlier,  no  record  of  a  mile  trotted  faster  than 
three  minutes  was  made  before  1 806.  That  year  Yankee  trotted 
a  mile  over  the  Harlem,  N.  Y.,  half-mile  track  in  2.59.  This 
record  was  gradually  lowered  till  in  1 845  Lady  Suffolk  trotted  a 
race  mile  at  Hoboken,  N.  J.,  in  2.29%.  Flora  Temple  was  the 
first  horse  to  beat  2.20,  which  she  did  in  1859  at  Kalamazoo, 
Mich.,  trotting  in  2.19%. 

In  1867,  Dexter  trotted  a  mile  in 2.17J 

In  1874,  Goldsmith  Maid  trotted  a  mile  in 2.14 

In  1878,  Rams  trotted  a  mile  in r     «     •     2.13J 

In  1879,  St.  Julien  trotted  a  mile  in  .     .     .     ...  .     .  .  .     2.12^ 

In  1884,  Jay  Eye  See  trotted  a  mile  in 2.10 

In  1885,  MaudS.  trotted  a  mile  in 2.08  f 

In  1889,  Sunol  (3)  trotted  a  mile  in  .     .     .     .     .  ;i     .     2.10^ 
In  1892,  Nancy  Hanks  trotted  a  mile  in      -,.    .     .,"  .     .     2.04 
In  1894,  Alix  trotted  a  mile  in      .     .     .     .....     2.03 f 

In  1900,  The  Abbott  trotted  a  mile  in 2.03£ 

In  1902,  Cresceus  trotted  a  mile  in 2.02  £ 

In  1903,  Major  Delmar  trotted  a  mile  in 1.59| 

In  1903,  Lou  Dillon  trotted  a  mile  in 1.58£ 

"  Your  Bickmore's  Qall  Cure  is  the  only  Qall  Cure  I  ever  used  that  would 
cure  uf>  collar  galls  while  I  continued  to  work  the  horse. 

<ft.  &  Barrett,  <Dry  Creek,  W.  Va." 


THE  AMERICAN  TROTTER 


35 


It  follows,  when  the  rules  of  the  National  Trotting  Horse  Regis- 
ter admits  animals  entirely  upon  a  speed  basis  without  regard  to 
conformation  or  soundness,  great  variety  of  type  must  exist  in  the 
trotting  breed.  We  find  for  a  fact  trotting  horses  ranging  in  weight 
from  seven  hundred  pounds  to  nearly  a  ton,  and  in  height  from 


LOU  DILLON,  CHAMPION  TROTTER 

thirteen  to  eighteen  hands.  Great  variations  in  general  conforma- 
tion are  also  noticeable.  It  is  much  to  be  commended  that  some  of 
our  best  breeders,  C.  J.  Hamlin,  J.  Malcomb  Forbes  and  Thomas 
W.  Lawson,  have  put  size,  conformation  and  finish  before  speed 
in  selecting  their  breeding  animals.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  our 
national  government  is  undertaking  the  development  of  an  Ameri- 
can coach  breed  at  Fort  Collins,  Colorado,  from  trotting-bred 


Look  well  to  the  feet.      Keep  them  clean. 


36 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN   HORSE 


horses  of  good  size  of  the   Morgan   type,  combining  speed  and 
general  excellence  for  carriage  purposes. 


BINGEN,  FORBES  TROTTER 

While  we  criticize  the  policy  of  admitting  to  register  many 
weedy  animals  because  of  this  ability  to  trot  miles  in  2.30,  there  is 
an  ideal  type  that  is  in  demand,  and  is  being  bred  in  increasing 
numbers.  This  type  differs  in  certain  particulars  from  the  Thorough- 
bred, which  it  much  resembles  in  the  main.  It  is  somewhat  lower 
and  shorter  in  leg  as  a  rule  and  slightly  more  compact  in  body. 
In  gait  the  trotter  should  possess  great  reach,  with  smoothness  and 
regularity  of  action,  low  and  frictionless  rather  than  high  and  showy. 

The  speed  limit  at  the  trot  is  not  yet  reached.     It  will  probably 

"Jim  never  without  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  in  my  barn.  It  will  cure  if  you 
only  put  it  on.  It  is  the  thing  for  the  cotton  farmer. 

<%.  E.  North,  Clifford,  Ark." 


PACING  HORSES  37 

be  slower  than  the  running  limit,  which  has  not  been  materially 
reduced  for  1 80  years,  but  it  will  be  reduced  very  slowly  from 
now  on.  Whether  it  will  ultimately  be  1 .50  or  less  is  problemat- 
ical. 

Pacing  Horses 

The  pacing  gait,  where  both  right  and  both  left  feet  strike  the 
ground  in  unison,  has  been  recognized  for  centuries,  and  in  older 
times  pacing  horses  were  esteemed  for  the  saddle,  as  attested  by 
this  passage  :  "  Upon  an  amblere  esely  sche  sat."  (Chaucer,  1  340- 
1 400.)  The  pure  pace  was  then  varied  with  the  rack  and  the 
amble,  or  broken  gaits,  in  which  the  fore  and  hind  feet  do  not 
strike  the  ground  exactly  in  unison,  but  either  the  hind  foot  or  the 
fore  foot  strikes  the  ground  an  instant  before  its  fellow.  The  old 
Narragansett  pacer  was  a  notable  example  of  a  family  of  horses  of 
that  gait,  having  becoming  very  popular  for  saddle  purposes  and 
afterwards  lost  through  disuse  under  changed  conditions. 

The  pacer  as  found  in  America  is  closely  related  to  the  trotter 
and  in  breeding  follows  similar  lines.  It  is  true  that  certain  families, 
such  as  the  Hals  and  Blue  Bulls,  are  more  inclined  to  the  pace  by 
inheritance  than  horses  bred  in  trotting  lines,  and  that  some  trotting 
sires  are  more  prepotent  in  transmitting  pure  trotting  action  than 
others ;  but  nearly  all  trotting  sires  beget  a  prominent  percentage 
of  foals  that  pace.  Not  only  does  the  same  blood  produce  both 
trotters  and  pacers,  but  both  gaits  are  not  infrequently  met  in  the 
same  individual.  There  are  notable  examples  of  fast  racers  having 
changed  from  one  gait  to  the  other.  Heir-at-law  was  successfully 
campaigned  at  the  trot  and  afterwards  at  the  pace.  Jay-Eye-See, 
once  a  trotting  champion  with  a  record  of  2. 1 0,  afterwards  obtained 
a  record  of  2.06%  as  a  pacer.  I  have  observed  that  racers  often 
go  slowly  at  the  opposite  gait  from  the  one  they  use  when  extend- 
ed. On  the  Charter  Oak  track  in  Hartford  I  noticed  the  cele- 
brated trotting  stallion,  Walnut  Hall,  pace  up  the  stretch  before 

In  feeding  whole  com  give  it  on  the  cob. 


38 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


scoring  down  at  a  trot ;  while  the  pacing  champion,  Dan  Patch, 
jogged  back  at  the  trotting  gait. 

While  the  two  gaits  often  result  from  the  same  breeding,  they 
have  not  the  same  general  utility.  A  pair  of  pacing  coachers 
would  look  ridiculous.  Pacers  are  not  as  desirable  roadsters. 
Their  conformation  is  not  so  pleasing,  their  carriage  is  lower,  their 


DAN  PATCH,  CHAMPION  PACER 

quarters  generally  less  well  turned.     For  the  saddle  the  true,  pace 
is  not  so  easy  or  elegant  as  the  amble  or  the  rack. 

It  is  chiefly  as  racers  that  pacing  horses  are  in  demand.  The 
pacing  gait  is  from  two  to  four  seconds  faster  than  the  trot.  Train- 
ers of  pacing  horses  have  very  commonly  put  hopples  upon  their 

"  Our  stable  boss  informs  "s  that  the  Qall  Cure  is  giving  good  satisfaction. 
Caledonian  Coal  Co.,  Gallup,  &£.  £%C.  " 


PACING  HORSES  39 

horses  to  prevent  mixing ;  but  their  use  has  not  always  prevented 
n  mix  ups,"  when  a  hoppled  pacer  gets  tangled  and  goes  down. 
An  effort  to  bar  hoppled  horses  from  races  has  not  appeared  to 
be  successful,  because  the  supply  of  both  hoppled  and  free  pacers 
of  racing  abilities  does  not  yet  fill  the  demand. 

Some  of  the  records  of  the  best  pacing  horses  are  as  follows : 

Dan  Patch 1.55}  Joe  Patchen  .     .     .     .-.     .  2.0  H 

Dan    Patch,   without    pace  Robert] 2.01  J 

maker  in  front     ....  1.58  Little  Boy 2.01  £ 

Prince  Alert 1.57  Anaconda 2.01 f 

Star  Pointer 1.59}  Coney 2.02 

John  R.  Gentry  .     ....  2.00} 

Orloff  Trotter 

A  Russian  breed,  founded  by  Count  Alexis  Orloff  Tschismens- 
ky,  state  minister  to  Catherine  II,  who  had  extensive  lands  in  the 
province  of  Orel,  one  of  Russia's  most  powerful  and  productive 
states.  In  1  775  Count  Orloff  imported  the  gray  Arabian  stallion, 
Smetanxa,  a  horse  of  great  speed,  power  and  size.  Bred  to  a 
Danish  mare,  he  produced  Polkan  I,  which  in  turn  produced  Bars 
I  from  a  Dutch  mare.  English,  Danish  and  Dutch  mares  have 
all  been  freely  used,  but  the  sires  generally  taken  from  foundation 
stock.  Bars  I  was  of  the  type  Orloff  aimed  to  secure,  and  by  his 
prepotency,  supplemented  by  rigid  selection,  a  class  of  horses 
sprung  up,  fostered  by  the  powerful  family  of  Orloff  and  other 
Russian  nobles. 

A  few  Orloff  horses  were  shown  in  America  at  the  Bay  State 
fair  in  1 884,  and  more  in  Chicago  in  1  893,  but  they  are  not  nu- 
merous here  as  yet. 

They  are  much  inferior  to  American  trotters  in  speed,  but  are 
strong,  vigorous  horses,  and  should  prove  useful  for  carriage  work. 
They  are  generally  black  or  gray  in  color,  upstanding,  strongly 

When  a  horse  is  overheated  or  tired,  allow  but  a  few  swallows  of  water. 
Jll  least  an  hour  later  give  him  his  fill. 


40 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


made  horses,  about  sixteen  hands  high  and  weighing  1  1 00  pounds, 
approaching  the  right  conformation  for  a  coach  horse. 


ORLOFF  TROTTER,  OURIADNIK 

Further  Uses  for  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure 

Our  friends  who  have  largely  contributed  to  our  success  by 
generous  purchases  of  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  and  who  are  respon- 
sible for  our  increasing  sales,  frequently  write  us  of  cures  of  troubles 
for  which  we  have  not  recommended  it.  One  man  in  Australia 
cured  mange  in  his  dog.  A  dealer  in  Pennsylvania  wrote  us  of 
a  prize  "  rooster "  that  was  badly  bitten  and  whose  comb  nearly 

"  Way  up  in  the  Adirondack  Mountains,  the  past  summer,  I  sara  some  of 
your  Gall  Curt  and  witnessed  its  usefulness. 

Isaac  3&.  Daggett,  1296  Madison  Ave.,  New  York,  &C-  Y." 


•      FURTHER  USES  FOR  BICKMORE'S  GALL  CURE         41 

rotted  off,  saying  that  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  perfected  a  cure- 
Another  dealer  told  of  a  bad  case  of  eczema  in  the  hands,  afflict- 
ing a  friend,  which  was  cured  by  the  use  of  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure. 
It  has  even  been  adopted  by  nurses  in  hospitals  for  curing  bed 
sores.  Another  reports  its  successful  use  for  curing  chafes  on 
babies.  A  bad  fever  sore  was  borne  by  a  resident  of  this  city  for 
years,  which  he  was  unable  to  heal  or  to  get  help  for.  At  his  own 
desire  we  supplied  him  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  with  which  he  cured 
the  open  sore  which  was  as  large  as  a  silver  dollar.  Afterward 
going  to  Virginia,  this  same  man  induced  a  woman  friend  to  try 
the  Gall  Cure  for  a  bad  case  of  milk  leg,  and  the  same  satisfactory 
result  was  obtained  as  in  his  case.  One  of  the  largest  manufac- 
turers in  this  section  was  in  his  younger  days  a  filer  in  a  saw  mill. 
The  steady  use  of  a  large  flat  file  caused  a  bad  sore  in  the  palm 
cf  his  right  hand  and  numerous  cracks  on  the  fingers  of  both  hands. 
His  daily  labor  made  the  continuous  friction  necessary,  and  as  a 
result  salt  rheum,  or  a  kindred  skin  trouble,  resulted,  which  made  a 
small,  obstinate  sore  that  physicians  were  unable  to  heal.  In 
speaking  of  his  experience  recently  this  man  said  that  Bickmore's 
Gall  Cure  did  better  work  for  him  than  anything  he  could  find, 
and  now,  after  using  it,  all  that  shows  for  his  trouble  of  years'  stand- 
ing is  a  calloused  place  in  the  palm  of  his  hand. 

French  Coach  Breed 

On  account  of  the  difficulty  of  procuring  suitable  horses  for  mili- 
tary purposes  the  French  government  took  steps  during  the  eigh- 
teenth century  to  increase  the  production  of  horses  of  the  desired 
type  by  the  following  means :  First,  the  establishment  of  a  school 
of  horse,  where  the  correct  type  of  horses  and  the  principles  of 
breeding  and  management  were  taught,  and  uniformity  of  ideas 
of  government  officials  promoted;  second,  importation  of  Thor- 
oughbred stallions  for  use  at  a  nominal  fee  by  French  horse  breed- 

Handle  the  young  colts  gently  ;  give  them  confidence  in  you.  ^Tbey  will 
be  much  easier  trained. 


42 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


ers ;  third,  subsidy  of  best  Thoroughbred  and  Demisang  stallions 
owned  by  private  parties  in  amounts  between  seventy-five  and  five 
hundred  dollars  annually  according  to  breeding  and  quality ;  fourth, 
licensing  desirable  stallions  not  in  the  subsidy  class  to  stand  for 
public  service ;  fifth,  castration  of  all  stallions  not  approved  by  the 
government  officials ;  sixth,  purchase  of  all  young,  desirable  horses 
produced  by  users  of  approved  stallions  at  remunerative  prices. 


FRENCH  COACHER,  PALADIN 

The  French  Coach  breed  is  the  result  of  a  cross  of  the  Thor- 
oughbred upon  the  riding,  military  and  general  purpose  mares  of 
France.  Their  breeding  began  during  the  last  quarter  of  the 

"  Your  Gall  Cure  is  the  best  article  I  have  used   to  put   into  the  hands  of 
men  who  will  not  take  precautions  to  prevent  their  team  from  galling. 
D'.   Wm.  H.  DeCourcy,  Carnichael, 


FRENCH  COACH  BREED  43 

eighteenth  century,  and  the  Thoroughbred  blood  now  predominates 
over  that  of  native  stock.  They  are  not,  however,  devoid  of  vari- 
ation of  type,  nor  do  many  of  them  appear  particularly  prepotent 
in  transmitting  the  breed  characters  and  conformation.  A  few 
large  studs  are  kept  in  America,  among  which  are  those  of  Dun- 
ham, Fleether  &  Coleman  of  Wayne,  111.,  and  the  late  J.  W. 
Sanborn  of  Lewiston,  Maine. 

They  are  of  good  size,  weighing  from  1050  to  1300  pounds 
and  standing  15%  to  16%  hands.  They  are  of  toppy,  blood- 
like  appearance,  of  good  conformation  and  substance,  and  high 
attractive  action.  The  head  is  fine  and  lean,  the  neck  long,  arched 
and  lofty,  the  shoulders  long  and  oblique,  the  body  deep  and  close- 
ribbed,  the  back  strong  and  short,  the  croup  level  and  strong  in 
the  coupling,  the  quarters  well  muscled  and  deep,  the  legs  straight, 
with  large,  well-knit  joints  and  wide  cannons  and  shanks,  pastern 
long  and  slanting,  feet  tough  and  well  made.  The  French  coacher 
is  characterized  by  a  smooth,  well-turned  conformation,  a  strong, 
attractive  action,  endurance  for  long  drives  at  good  speed,  good 
manners  and  intelligence,  and  adaptability  for  coach  or  heavy  har- 
ness work.  He  is  probably  not  as  impressive  and  prepotent  in 
transmitting  his  characters  as  some  of  the  purer  breeds  of  more 
fixed  qualities. 

German  Coach  Horses 

For  three  or  four  centuries  the  German  government  has  been 
improving  its  horses  in  a  systematic  way  to  secure  a  large,  strong, 
active  type  for  military  uses.  The  foundation  stock  was  taken 
from  mares  of  the  agricultural,  military  and  riding  classes,  and  im- 
provement mainly  secured  through  Oriental  crosses.  From  these 
sources,  and  by  means  of  careful  selection  of  breeding  animals,  a 
useful  military,  riding  and  coach  class  has  been  evolved.  They 
were  first  brought  to  America  in  1 885  by  Oltmans  Bros,  of  Wat- 

Carrots  make  a  good  addition  to  a  horse 's  feed,  but  should  always  be 
chopped,  not  whole. 


44  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

seka,  III.,  who  are  still  engaged  in  importing  and  breeding  German 
coach  horses.  The  breed  is  not  numerous  nor  wide  spread  in  the 
United  States,  but  is  growing  in  favor. 


GERMAN  COACHER,  GAUDIAN 

'They  are  nicely-turned  horses,  of  large  size,  much  substance  and 
showy  appearance.  Some  critics  charge  a  lack  of  springiness,  that 
goes  with  the  type  of  carriage  horses  most  prized  in  America  ;  but 
these  smooth,  substantial  German  Coachers  should  prove  successful 
sires  of  carriage  horses  when  crossed  with  American  trotting  mares 
of  high  life  and  action. 


•    "  One  of  my  team  horses  had  a  sore  neck  for  two  years.     He  is  cured  frorr. 
one  box  of  your  Gall  Cure.  J.  5.  Spikings,  Irving  Park,  /#•  " 


GERMAN  COACH  HORSES  45 


THE  OLDENBERG  COACHER  is  in  a  sense  a  local 
variety  of  the  German,  much  as  the  Morgan  is  of  the  American 
trotter,  but  its  breeders  and  importers  are  inclined  to  keep  it  distinct 
from  the  general  breed  and  press  their  claims  to  its  popularity  be- 
cause of  greater  uniformity  of  type,  purer  blood  and  a  stronger  pre- 
potency in  transmitting  the  inherited  character. 

The  origin  of  the  Oldenberg  is  like  the  German  in  native  mares 
crossed  with  fine  stallions  from  Arabia,  Barbary  and  Spain. 
During  the  sixteenth  century  steps  were  taken  to  improve  the  local 
breed.  Count  Johann  XVI,  1552-1  557,  was  especially  active 
in  procuring  horses  from  Turkey,  Italy  and  Spain.  During  the 
following  centuries  selection  of  typical  breeding  horses  has  been 
observed  and  fixity  of  type  and  purity  of  blood  inculcated.  A 
few  of  these  horses  were  brought  to  America  during  the  last  two 
decades  of  the  nineteenth  century,  where  they  gained  a  good 
reputation  by  winning  honors  over  all  coach  breeds  at  the  Colum- 
bian Exposition  in  1893.  They  are  described  as  bay  or  brown 
in  color  with  dapples,  and  commonly  a  white  star  on  the  forehead 
and  a  white  hind  ankle.  A  characteristic  marking  is  a  lighter 
shade  around  the.  nose,  popularly  styled  "  mealy  nose."  In  size 
they  are  uniformly  large,  1 6  hands  high  and  weighing  about  1 200 
pounds.  In  form  they  are  symmetrical,  well-muscled,  stylish  and 
strongly  made.  The  head  is  elegant,  fine  and  carried  high,  the 
neck  strong  and  well  arched,  the  shoulders  long  and  oblique,  back 
short  and  strong,  body  round  and  close-ribbed,  coupling  smooth 
and  powerful,  croup  high,  quarters  full  and  long,  legs  strongly  made 
and  of  good  width.  They  are* characterized  by  high,  attractive 
and  powerful  action,  good  tempers,  sagacious  and  intelligent. 
They  are  bold,  fearless  movers  with  a  load  at  speed. 

Cleveland  Bay 

The  name  is  taken  from  the  old  town  of  Cleveland  in  Yorkshire, 
England,  and  the  uniform  bay  color  of  the  breed.  They  originated 

"jlfter  trial  of  your  Gall  Cure  We  find  it  gives  excellent  satisfaction. 

Brushy  £%Countain  Coal  Co.,  Metros,  e£Tenn.  " 


46 


DEVELOPMENt  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


in  coaching  times  and  were  especially  prized  for  use  in  fours  and 
sixes  on  the  public  coach.  They  were  contemporary  with  the 
Hackney  and  appear  to  have  sprung  from  the  same  ancestry,  but 
became  of  a  somewhat  different  type  on  account  of  a  different  use. 
While  the  Hackney  was  the  private  gentleman's  horse  of  all  work, 
the  Cleveland  was  the  public  horse,  largely  used  for  post  work.  In 


CLEVELAND  BAY 

breeding  there  is  evidence  that  a  Scandinavian  cross  was  early 
used  upon  the  agricultural  horses  of  England,  and  that  the  resultant 
old  "  Chapman  "  horse  of  Yorkshire  was  well  known  two  or  three 
centuries  ago.  Thoroughbred  crosses  were  also  used  to  some 
extent,  increasing  the  speed  and  road  capacity  of  the  breed.  The 
product  of  these  crosses  was  an  exceedingly  popular  and  useful  class 
of  horses,  which  were  well  known  and  in  general  use  in  coaching 
times.  With  the  advent  of  railroads  the  use  of  these  horses  was 
gradually  taken  away  until  the  breed  was  thought  to  be  lost.  Of 
late  a  determined  effort  to  resuscitate  the  Cleveland  Bay  has  borne 
fruit  and  its  improvement  has  been  well  received. 

When  a  horse  is  frightened  Jo  not  add  to  his  fright  by  using  the  whip. 


CLEVELAND  BAY  47 

A  few  breeders  are  producing  them  in  America,  although  they 
are  not  very  generally  known,  and  a  record  association  has  been 
formed  with  R.  P.  Steriker,  Janesville,  Wis.,  secretary.  The 
Cleveland  Bay  is  in  color  pure  bay  with  black  points.  He  stands 
about  1 6  hands  and  weighs  from  11 00  to  1 400  pounds.  In 
form  he  is  between  the  Thoroughbred  and  the  farm  chunk,  and 
makes  what  might  properly  be  called  the  "  express  type,"  varying 
towards  the  carriage  horse.  He  combines  substance  with  mettle, 
is  a  free  mover  with  a  load,  and  very  docile  and  intelligent.  Uni- 
formity of  color  and  conformation  makes  matched  pairs  easy  to 
produce.  While  they  are  valuable  as  coach  horses  and  expressers, 
their  powers  may  be  turned  to  all  kinds  of  farm  work.  In  a  plow- 
ing contest  upon  sod  land  for  six  consecutive  days,  a  picked  team 
of  Clevelands  had  a  picked  team  of  Clydesdales  beaten  so  badly 
at  the  end  of  the  fourth  day  that  the  latter  withdrew  and  paid  the 
wager. 

The  Hackney 

In  breeding  the  Hackney  is  similar  to  the  Cleveland  Bay.  The 
farmer's  horse  of  a  few  centuries  ago,  carrying  some  Norwegian 
blood,  had  been  selected  into  a  type  known  as  the  Norfolk  Trotter. 
Subsequent  Thoroughbred  crosses  of  the  Hunter  type  increased 
the  snap  and  activity.  Until  recently  the  Hackney  has  been  a 
type  or  class  rather  than  a  pure  breed.  He  has  developed  by 
selection,  for  horse  users  have  found  that  compactly  made,  full 
muscled,  upstanding,  substantial  animals,  with  lots  of  ginger  and 
action  were  about  perfection  for  family  use.  The  breed  has  grown 
out  of  rigid  selection  of  this  type,  and  later  the  action  has  been 
much  emphasized. 

During  the  last  quarter  of  the  nineteenth  century  many  Hack- 
neys were  imported  to  the  United  States,  where  they  have  become 
widely  distributed.  Among  the  best  studs  in  America  may  be 

"  We.  bad  occasion  to  use  ^iclfmore's  Qall  Cure.  *Co  our  surprise  the 
horse  worked  and  got  well.  Judson  L.  'Davis,  Abington,  III.  " 


48 


DEVELOPMENT   OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


mentioned  the  Plymouth  stud  of  Eben  D.  Jordan  of  Boston,  and 
that  of  Frederick  C.  Stevens  of  Attica,  N.  Y.  The  Hackney  is 
the  horse  PAR  EXCELLENCE  for  heavy  leather  and  the  tan 


^ 


HACKNEY  STALLION,  FANDANGO 

bark  ring,  and  he  is  no  less  popular  for  horsing  private  carriages 
of  wealthy  people  for  park  work,  shopping,  or  social  calls.  As  car- 
riages have  grown  in  elegance  and  beauty,  they  have  increased  in 
weight,  with  springs  and  padding  for  comfort,  and  it  requires  a  horse 
of  some  substance  to  harmonize  with  the  outfit.  City  and  park  reg- 


'Uhe  brood  mare  should  have  plenty  of  exercise. 


THE  HACKNEY  49 

ulations  preclude  fast  driving,  so  that  horses  that  can  show  well  and 
step  high,  without   going  too  fast,  are  in  demand.     It  is  to  meet 


ERELONG,  AMERICAN  COACH 

these  requirements  that  the  Hackney  is  being  bred  and  selected. 

He  is  described  as  of  a  bay,  chestnut  or  brown  color,  often  with 
white  markings,  from  15    to  16   hands   high,  weighing  1050  to 

"j4m  using  your  Gall  Cure  for  sore  bac^s  on  cow  ponies  and  find  it  the 
best  thing  I  ever  tried.  jl.  Jl.  Spaugh,  JKanville,  Wyo.  " 


50  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

1  200  pounds.  In  form  he  is  blocky,  round,  and  compactly  made, 
with  plenty  of  muscle  and  substance.  He  fills  the  eye  as  an  object 
of  beauty  from  whatever  point  we  view  him.  His  head  is  fine, 
clean  and  intelligent,  ears  small  and  attractive,  neck  muscular  but  not 
too  short,  well  set  on,  shoulders  smooth  and  oblique,  back  short, 
smooth  and  muscular,  quarters  long  and  powerful,  legs  strong  and 
well  made,  a  little  larger  than  in  the  speed  types ;  the  feet  are  also 
of  good  size. 

The  crowning  attribute  of  the  Hackney  is  his  high,  stylish  action, 
which,  added  to  perfect  manners  and  beautiful  conformation,  makes 
him  a  great  favorite,  commanding  a  good  price. 

Bickmore's  in  the  Boer  War 

At  the  commencement  of  the  Boer  War  in  South  Africa  we 
were  desirous  of  having  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  used  by  the  British 
troops.  We  felt  sure  that,  under  very  hard  conditions  existing  in 
that  country,  horses  would  see  very  rough  usage,  and  would  need 
a  healing  ointment  of  merit.  We  realized  that  such  a  highly  de- 
veloped organization  as  the  British  War  Office  would  have  a  corps 
of  highly-trained  veterinary  surgeons,  who  would  be  called  upon 
to  recommend  methods  of  treatment  for  sore  horses,  that  they  might 
be  kept  in  the  best  possible  condition.  So  our  first  effort  was  to 
induce  the  War  Office  to  test  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  feeling,  as  we 
did,  that  it  would  do  better  work  in  rough  service  than  any  of  the 
standard  preparations  known  to  the  profession.  A  letter  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  British  War  Office,  asking  that  a  test  be  made  of  our 
remedy  and  offering  to  supply  a  quantity  of  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure 
for  trial  free  of  charge  and  delivered.  As  we  rather  expected,  we 
received  a  very  formal  letter,  stating  that  such  a  test  could  not  be 
made.  A  second  letter  from  us  brought  forth  another  courteous 
but  firm  refusal.  We  did  not  give  up,  but  then  set  about  getting 
a  trial  made  by  the  troopers  themselves,  the  men  who  had  to  ride  or 

Old  horses,  or  those  having  poor  teeth,  should  be  fed  ground  grain.  It  is 
more  easily  digested. 


BICKMORE'S  IN  THE  BOER  WAR  51 

drive  the  horses  and  who  would  appreciate  such  an  article  for  its 
worth,  regardless  of  whether  it  was  the  product  of  an  officer  of  the 
army  or  a  manufacturer  in  business.  We  wrote  to  our  London  office 
that  when  mounted  troops  were  again  dispatched  to  South  Africa 
a  clerk  be  sent  to  the  dock,  who  should  give  out  free  sample  boxes 
of  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  to  the  men  themselves  before  they  sailed. 
This  was  done  and  nothing  further  was  heard  for  a  long  time, 
when  one  day  we  received  notice  that  an  order  for  a  considerable 
quantity  of  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  for  the  use  of  the  troops  in  South 
Africa  had  been  filled.  And  thus  the  remedy  used  by  thousands 
of  American  and  Canadian  farmers  in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  their 
daily  lives,  overcame  by  its  merits  alone  the  objections  of  the  con- 
servative army  bureau  and  won  its  own  way,  proving  its  great  virtue 
in  the  face  of  official  indifference. 

The  Percheron 

The  name  is  taken  from  the  department  of  Perche  in  central 
France,  including  three  political  divisions,  Montagne,  Nogen-le- 
Rotrou,  and  Vendome,  and  occupying  a  territory  about  twenty-five 
leagues  long  by  twenty  wide.  The  Percheron  should  not  be  con- 
fused with  the  Norman,  which  comes  from  a  heavier  and  slower 
type  in  the  region  to  the  northward.  The  horses  of  Perche  were 
bred  from  native  stock,  represented  by  the  old  BLACK  HORSE 
of  western  Europe  and  Britain,  with  Arabian  crosses. 

The  old  Black  Horse  was  the  product  of  feudal  customs  and  the 
abundant  nutritious  feed  of  the  lowlands.  Although  of  general 
use  for  the  pack  saddle  and  agricultural  work,  the  best  specimens 
were  prized  by  the  knights  who  fought  in  armor.  The  weight 
of  rider,  armor,  and  accouterments  was  about  four  hundred 
pounds,  and  required  a  substantial  horse  to  carry  it.  In  with- 
standing the  shock  of  the  charge  or  in  charging,  weight  was  a 

' '  Have  used  your  saloe  for  some  time  and  must  say  it  is  superior  to  any- 
thing I  have  used  on  our  stock- 

Ft.  Yates,  Winona  &  Bismarck  Stage  Line,  Bismarck,  N.  D." 


52  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

distinct  advantage,  for  the  lighter  mount  was  the  more  easily 
turned  from  his  course,  to  the  discomfort  of  his  rider.  Weight 
and  activity  under  the  saddle  were  important  attributes  of  this 
old  Black  Horse,  and  conditions  were  suitable  to  their  develop- 
ment in  a  large  degree.  We  mention  the  fact  particularly  because 
these  big  horses  were  the  foundation  stock  for  all  our  modern  draft 
breeds. 

The  Oriental  influence  goes  back  to  the  time  of  the  defeat  of 
the  armies  of  the  Saracen,  Abderame;  in  the  eighth  century,  when 
a  large  body  of  Arabian  horses  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French. 
During  the  crusades  other  eastern  horses  were  brought  into 
France,  and  later  special  importations  were  made,  those  of  the 
gray  stallion,  Gallipoli,  and  Godolphin  being  best  known.  Spanish 
and  English  blood  were  also  used ;  but  the  two  great  factors  were 
the  Black  Horse  and  the  Arabian. 

Of  equal  importance  with  the  breeding,  is  the  system  and  de- 
velopment of  the  Percheron,  which  is  as  follows : 

1 .  All  mares  in  the  breeding  district  are  expected  to  produce  a 
foal  each  year,  in  default  of  which  they  are  sold.     They  perform 
the  work  of  the  farms  while  in  foal,  fully  paying  their  keep,  and 
the  foal  forms  a  substantial  income. 

2.  At  five  or  six  months  old  the  foals  are  weaned  and  sold  for 
$100  to  $125,  to  be  kept  for  a  season  on  the  pastures  of  Pin, 
Mauves,  Longny,  Corbon,  etc.     They  make  rapid  growth,  but  do 
no  work,  and  pay  out  in  advanced  values. 

3.  At  one  and  a  half  years  old  they  are  broken  in  and  put  to 
light  work  in  teams  of  four.     They  are  liberally  fed,  kept  growing 
and  their  labor  about  pays  their  keep. 

4.  At  three  years  old  they  are  again  sold  to  the  Beance  farmers 
and  for  the  next  two  years  they  pay  well  for  their  feed  by  the 
rapid  draft  work  performed.     Speed  and  activity  are  emphasized 
here,  rather  than  heavy  loads.     It  is  a  sort  of  sifting  process  in 

ft 

Some  authorities  say  that  all  grain  feed  should  be  ground,  if  whole  grain  is 
not  fully  digested  when  expelled. 


THE  PERCHERON 


53 


which  the  weaker  specimens  break  down,  while  the  stout,  rugged 
colts  become  seasoned  for  the  strenuous  work  ahead  of  them. 

5.    At  five  years  the  omnibus  and  truck  companies  buy  them 
for  their  final  field  of  usefulness,  seasoned  and  fit  for  any  exertion. 


CASTELAR,  PERCHERON  STALLION 

The  French  government  regulates  the  horse  breeding  in  Perche 
by  destroying  all  inferior  stallions,  licensing  the  good  ones  and  sub- 
sidizing the  best  to  the  amount  of  $50  to  $1  50  annually. 

Percheron  horses  were  early  brought  to  America ;  the  horse 
Norman  having  been  imported  in  1816,  Old  Louis  Napoleon,  a 
famous  stallion,  in  K85  1 .  The  Massachusetts  Society  for  Promot- 


"  Have  had  excellent  results  from  use  of  this  cure  ;  feel  we  should  not  be 
Without  it.  Standard  Oil  Co.  of  N.  Y.,  (Brooklyn.  " 


54  DEVELOPMENT  OF*  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

ing  Agriculture  made  several  importations.     Canadian  horses  carry 
much  of  this  blood,  but  have  reduced  in  size  in  the  new  country. 

No  draft  breed  is  so  widely  and  generally  distributed  through- 
out America.  Percheron  grade  draft  horses  in  cities,  on  farms  and 
in  horse  markets  largely  outnumber  all  other  breeds  combined. 
They  have  achieved  their  premier  position  by  priority  in  the  field 
and  by  intrinsic  value.  Not  only  weight  but  active  habits  com- 
mend them  to  users  and  their  clean  legs  are  generally  preferred  to 
the  profuse  feather  on  the  legs  of  some  British  breeds,  particularly 
for  farm  work. 

Description 

Size:  large,  15  to  17  hands,  1300  to  2000  pounds  weight. 
There  has  been  a  great  demand  for  heavy  horses  in  America  dur- 
ing the  last  two  or  three  decades,  and  the  Percheron  horse  has  in 
consequence  been  selected  more  for  size,  whereas  formerly  activity 
was  more  insisted  upon.  As  a  result  the  breed  is  much  heavier 
and  less  active  than  formerly.  Color :  dappled  gray,  turning  to 
white  with  advancing  age,  was  formerly  a  characteristic  color.  On 
this  account  the  Percheron  lost  somewhat  as  compared  with  the 
bay  of  the  Clydesdale  and  darker  colors  of  other  breeds.  Conse- 
quently black  has  become  the  prevailing  color  of  late.  It  may  be 
said  that  with  the  great  demand  for  blacks,  anything  and  every- 
thing in  the  line  of  black  stallions  of  heavy  weight  has  been  ac- 
cepted, while  only  the  very  best  of  the  grays  found  favor.  Very 
naturally  the  superior  quality  of  many  of  these  grays  is  causing  a 
decided  reaction  in  favor  of  the  color,  on  the  principle  that  a  good 
horse  is  never  of  a  bad  color.  , 

General  form:  broad,  low,  blocky,  massive,  and  symmetrical. 
The  head  is  medium  large,  showing  some  Arabian  lines ;  the  neck 
is  massive  and  short  with  high  crest ;  the  shoulders  wide,  oblique, 
and  smooth ;  body  deep,  round,  and  short ;  loins  strongly  muscled  ; 
croup  rather  sloping ;  quarters  big  and  powerful ;  legs  short,  wide 

Careless  feeding  and  watering  ruins  many  a  valuable  horse. 


DESCRIPTION 


55 


apart,  strongly  made  and  free  from  feather ;  pasterns  supple  but 
strong,  feet  good. 

The  characteristics  of  the  Percheron  are,  massive  strength  and 
muscular  power  in  the  collar,  great  endurance  and  staying  quali- 
ties, superior  activity  for  horses  of  their  weight,  easy  keeping  and 
intelligence.  A  little  book  on  the  Percheron  horse  by  Du  Hays, 
translated  by  Weld,  gives  a  very  good  account  of  the  subject. 

French   Draft 


FRENCH  DRAFT  STALLION 

The  French  Draft  has  much  in  common  with  the  Percheron  and 
is  especially  related  to  the  modern  Percheron  as  found  in  America. 
He  differs  in  being  heavier  and  more  sluggish,  for  want  of  the 
Arabian  influence,  so  strong  in  the  best  Percheron  of  a  half  century 
ago.  The  French  Draft  is  more  like  the  Flanders  and  Belgian 
breeds. 


' '  /  use  your  Gall  Cure  on  cows '  teats  with  success. 

J,  £Xt.  'Uance,  San  Antonio, 


56 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


Belgian 

Belgium  and  Holland  and  Flanders  have  some  good  breeds  of 
draft  horses  intimately  related  to  the  other  breeds  of  Europe,  that 
are  very  much  prized  at  home.  These  all  have  had  more  or  less 
influence  upon  the  draft  horses  of  America,  but  about  the  only  one 


BELGIAN  STALLION,  REVE  D'OR 

that  has  been  imported  here  is  the  breed  known  at  home  as 
Boulonais.  A  few  of  these  came  to  Illinois  as  early  as  the  late 
sixties  and  early  seventies,  and  quite  recently  they  have  been  im- 
ported in  larger  numbers.  A  magnificent  display  of  the  breed 
was  made  at  the  Louisianna  Purchase  Exposition  in  1 904,  where 
they  made  a  sensation. 


Give  the  horse  his  heaviest  feed  at   night  when  he  can  rest  and  digest  it 
properly. 


CLYDESDALE  57 

Their  origin  is  the  old  Black  Horse  of  the  lowlands,  the  same  as 
in  all  the  other  heavy  breeds,  and  their  improvement  has  been 
mainly  through  selection. 

They  are  an  extremely  massive  type,  very  wide,  very  low  and 
very  heavy.  In  weight  for  height  they  probably  exceed  all 
breeds.  Like  most  of  the  continental  breeds,  their  legs  are  not 
feathered.  They  are  horses  of  tremendous  power,  but  not  exces- 
sive action. 

Clydesdale 

This  Scotch  breed  takes  its  name  from  the  river  Clyde  which 
runs  through  its  breeding  grounds.  The  region  where  these 
horses  flourish  includes  the  historic  countries  of  Lanark  and  Sterling 
in  southern  Scotland. 

In  blood  we  find  the  foundation  in  the  old  black  war  horse  of 
the  lowlands,  fortified  by  frequent  Flemish  crosses,  and  probably  a 
more  recent  Cleveland  Bay  cross,  which  has  given  increased  activ- 
ity and  the  prevailing  bay  color. 

In  very  early  times  a  breed  of  heavy  horses  was  well  known  in 
the  region,  and  extensive  trade  carried  on  with  breeders  on  the 
continent,  and  the  Flemish  influence  was  quite  prominent.  The 
Douglas  family  was  largely  interested  in  the  breed,  and  in  1  352  a 
safe  conduct  was  granted  to  William,  Earl  of  Douglas,  for  ten 
grooms  and  ten  large  horses  to  Teviotdale  in  the  king's  domain. 
In  1  7 1  5—20  John  Patterson  brought  a  Flemish  stallion  to  Loch- 
yock  which  became  famous  for  his  progeny.  During  this  period 
the  Clydesdale  and  English  Shire  horses  mingled  blood  very  freely. 
A  century  ago  the  Clyde  was  heavy,  sluggish  and  black ;  but  a 
half  century  later  he  became  generally  bay  in  color  and  lighter  and 
quicker  in  movements,  circumstances  pointing  strongly  to  a  Cleve- 
land cross. 

' '  Have  handled  your  Gall  Cure  for  eight  years  and  find  it  the  best  medi- 
cine on  earth  for  sores  of  any  nature  on  animals. 

WCcKinney  &  Hills,  ZKCcKinney, 


58 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


The  Clydesdale  was  early  brought  to  America,  but  mainly  to 
Canada,  until  about  1 860. 


1 


CLYDESDALE  STALLION,  PRINCE  WILLIAM,  JR. 

The  Clyde  may  be  described  as  a  drafter  of  an  upstanding, 
resolute,  slashing-gaited  type,  somewhat  more  rangy  than  the  Per- 
cheron ;  longer  in  the  head,  neck,  body,  and  leg ;  not  quite  so 
massive  in  build ;  straighter  in  his  top  line,  especially  more  level  on 
the  rump.  His  legs  appear  larger  because  of  the  feather  they 
carry.  He  has  a  bold,  prompt,  resolute  step  that  gets  him  over 
the  ground  rapidly,  and  is  very  tractable  and  good  mannered. 
Probably  the  Clydesdale  type  is  not  equal  to  the  Percheron  in 
wearing  qualities  or  economy  of  keep. 

'JT/ie  colt  will  train  easier  at  six  months  than  when  a  year  old. 


ENGLISH  SHIRES 


59 


English  Shire 

Another  big  draft  breed,  perhaps  the  biggest  of  them  all  from 
the  black  war  horse  of  the  middle  ages,  has  until  recently  been 
known  as  the  English  Cart  Horse.  He  was  quite  fully  described 
by  Low  three  quarters  of  a  century  ago.  The  blood  of  his  native 


BB 


SHIRE  STALLION,  BURY  VICTOR  CHIEF 

ancestry  was  liberally  supplemented  by  that  of  Flanders  and  breeds 
of  the  adjacent  mainland.  There  is  evidence  that  the  Romans 
prior  to  A.  D.  400  prized  a  heavy  breed  of  British  horses.  King 
John,  1 299- 1316,  imported  one  hundred  Flanders  stallions.  Ed- 
ward II  was  a  patron  and  improver  of  the  breed.  Henry  VIII 

"  Farmers  claim  your  Gall  Cure  will  cure  any  case  of  galled  skin  or  shoul- 
der without  stopping  the  animal  from  wor^. 

3).  W.  Hays,  Gordonville, 


60  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

compared  his  bride,  Anne  of  Cleves,  to  "  a  great  Flanders  mare." 
Robert  Bakewell  was  a  prominent  improver  of  these  horses  and 
imported  Flemish  stallions.  Dodman,  the  horse  of  hair,  was  a 
noted  sire  about  1  790,  and  was  distinguished  by  mustaches  and 
long  hair  under  the  knees,  characters  he  freely  transmitted. 

The  Shire  is  not  numerous  in  America,  having  been  late  in 
making  his  appearance,  and  somewhat  unpopular  for  his  hairy  legs 
and  sluggish  movements.  Of  late  he  has  rapidly  gained  ground 
because  of  improved  action,  and  the  great  demand  and  high  prices 
for  big  horses.  When  it  comes  to  size  the  Shire  is  it. 

The  Shire  is  described  as  very  large  in  size,  weighing  from 
1 600  to  2400  pounds.  In  color  bay  prevaifs,  but  blacks,  roans, 
chestnuts,  and  sorrels  are  found.  In  form  he  is  massive,  long, 
broad  and  low.  He  is  large  in  head,  heavy  in  neck,  wide  in 
back  and  loin,  moderately  level  in  rump,  long  in  under  line,  legs 
big,  wide  apart  and  well  covered  with  feather  below  the  knees. 
His  joints  and  feet  are  big.  He  makes  an  impressive  appearance 
harnessed  to  a  dray,  and  exhibits  great  power  in  the  collar.  He 
has  a  fair  walk,  but  is  too  heavy  to  trot  much,  and  is  quiet  and 
pleasant  tempered.  He  is  a  heavy  feeder  and  is  most  in  demand 
on  city  drays,  where  weight  is  of  more  importance  than  activity. 

Suffolk  Punch 

An  old  English  breed  popular  to  the  vicinity  of  Suffolk  county. 
Its  origin  is  obscure,  though  there  have  been  from  time  immemorial 
horses  of  this  character  in  southern  England.  The  conditions  seem 
to  have  developed  that  out  of  whatever  material  came  in.  There 
are  indications  of  a  Norman  or  Percheron  cross  prior  to  the  eight- 
eenth century.  The  Suffolk  stud  book  contains  records  of  various 
crosses  since  1  725,  some  of  which  were  warm  blooded  in  charac- 
ter. For  more  than  two  centuries  Suffolks  have  been  locally 

Jin  overheated  horse  should  be  thoroughly  mhbed,  walked  around  in  the 
open  air,  and  then  covered  with  a  woolen  blanket. 


SUFFOLK  PUNCH  61 

referred  to  as  the  "  Old  Breed."  Newspaper  accounts  of  draft 
trials  are  still  extant  bearing  dates  of  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  It  appears  that  the  old  Suffolks  possessed  indomitable 
pluck  and  courage  to  pull.  They  would  draw  until  they  came 
down  to  their  knees.  This  grit  in  the  collar  has  given  them  an 
enviable  reputation  as  drafters.  About  1  770  a  Yorkshire  trotting 
horse,  known  as  Blake's  Farmer,  a  short-legged  chestnut  stallion, 
was  extensively  used  as  a  sire  in  Suffolk.  Perhaps  the  majority  of 
Suffolks  trace  to  him,  many  of  them  through  young  Briton,  his  most 
noted  great-grandson,  foaled  in  1  796.  The  prepotency  of  the 
old  breed  was  very  great,  and  its  characters  have  become  very 
firmly  implanted  on  whatever  stock  has  been  brought  into  close 
relations  with  it. 


SUFFOLK  MARE  NECTAR  AND  FOAL 

Very  few  Suffolks  are  found  in  America ;  but  they  possess  very 
useful  attributes.  They  are  described  as  middle-sized  horses, 
weighing  1  300  to  1 800  pounds,  are  always  sorrel  or  chestnut  in 

' '  Have  been  selling  your  Gall  Cure  to  Potomac  Coal  Co.  for  two  years. 
They  recommend  it  highly  for  horses  with  sore  shoulders. 

P.  H.  Gallagher,  Barton,  JKd." 


62  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

color,  are  very  close  built  and  compact,  with  short,  clean  legs,  free 
from  feather.  They  are  well  adapted  to  farm  work,  having  requi- 
site weight,  a  good  walk,  a  fair  trot,  great  power  and  bottom  for 
continued  exertion,  and  are  easy  keepers.  At  the  same  time  a 
team  of  four  or  six  of  these  sorrel  chunks  would  do  things  with  a 
big  dray,  or  brewers'  truck,  that  would  make  the  n  good  big  ones  " 
hustle  to  beat,  and  they  wouldn't  look  badly  hitched  that  way 
either. 

The  Mustang 

The  horses  of  the  southwestern  plains  of  the  United  States  are 
descendants  of  Spanish  importations.  The  first  importation,  made 
by  Columbus  in  1 493,  perished ;  but  subsequent  importations  by 
Columbus  in  1527,  and  particularly  by  DeSoto  in  1540,  have 
left  progeny  which  has  multiplied  into  large  bands  of  animals  of 
small  value.  As  the  Spanish  horses  from  which  the  Mustang  has 
sprung  have  come  from  Oriental  stock  through  the  Moors,  who 
brought  them  to  Spain,  we  have  proof  of  a  very  direct  inheritance 
of  Arabian  and  Barbary  qualities  by  these  Mustangs.  They  have 
lost  much  of  their  finish  and  symmetry  of  form  during  centuries  of 
natural  selection  without  the  direction  of  man,  and  have  probably 
reverted  towards  the  ancestral  type,  but  they  are  possessed  of  the 
warm  blood,  the  wonderful  locomotive  powers  of  their  ancestry, 
and  where  they  have  lost  'in  attractiveness  they  have  gained  in 
independence  of  artificial  care  and  feed. 

They  are  of  small  size,  700  to  900  pounds  weight,  about  1 4 
hands  high  and  very  slender  in  form.  Their  necks  are  long  and 
straight,  set  on  low,  their  shoulders  narrow,  sides  flat,  rumps  steep, 
quarters  lean  and  thin,  legs  straight  and  tough. 

They  are  found  in  all  colors,  but  the  paler  ones  are  rather  char- 
acteristic, duns,  yellows  and  calicos.  They  are  exceedingly  tough 
and  hardy,  and  have  great  endurance  for  long  journeys.  Their 

Keep  your  Work  horses  warm  in  winter.  It  is  cheaper  to  keeP  ut>  the  animal 
heat  with  clapboards  and  blankets  than  with  feed. 


THE  MUSTANG 


63 


capacity  to  carry  weight  is  out  of  all  proportion  to  size,  and  they 
make  excellent  cow  ponies,  and  many  are  high-class  polo  ponies. 

Their  reputation  for  meanness  is  doubtless  mainly  due  to  their 
nervous  tempers  and  the  system  of  breaking  (without  real  domesti- 
cation) in  vogue. 


BRONCHO 


INDIAN  PONIES,  or  BRONCHOS,  belong  to  a  region 
farther  north  than  the  Mustang,  and  carry  the  blood  of  French 
stock  brought  from  Canada  separately,  or  in  conjunction  with  Span- 


' '  /  would  rather  have  one  box  of  Bicf^more  's  Gall   Cure  than  ten  of  any 
other  kind  for  mff  own  use.  Will  C.  3\Cord,  Louisville,  Ky.  " 


64 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


ish  blood.     They  are,  as  might  be  expected,  of  easier  tempers, 
more  compact  build,  and  generally  darker  colors  than  the  Mustang. 

Shetland  Ponies 

Originated   on  islands  north  of  Great  Britain  and  are  a  very  old 
breed.     Their  characters  are  probably  due  to  centuries  of  gradual 


SHETLAND  AND  CLYDESDALE 

variation  to  meet  the  conditions  of  an  island  habitat,  a  bleak  cold 
climate  and  a  sparse  supply  of  food.  They  are  of  diminutive  size. 
Their  feet  are  very  tough,  seldom  needing  shoes.  They  have 
very  thick,  long  coats  of  hair  to  protect  them  during  those  northern 
winters,  and  generally  have  very  bushy  manes  and  tails. 

When  turning  out  horses  to  pasture  in  summer,  two  feeds  of  grain  each  Jay 
should  be  given. 


WELSH  AND  EXMOOR 


65 


They  have  quiet  tempers  and  good  intelligence  and  make  toy 
horses  for  children,  of  unsurpassed  excellence.  In  color  they  pre- 
sent almost  everything  that  goes,  black,  white,  bay,  chestnut,  dun 
and  piebald  all  being  common. 

Welsh  and  Exmoor 


-;;•>;•, 


WELSH  PONY.  TALLY  HO 

Characteristic  of  the  poor,  bleak  highlands  of  Wales,  they  are 
of  small  size,  weighing  400  to  800  pounds,  standing  1 0  to  13 
hands,  are  more  slender  in  build  than  the  Shetlands,  rather  taller, 
and  run  more  to  the  dark  colors. 

" Haoe  just  tried  Bic^more's  Gall  Cure  on  a  horse,  booing  tie  scratches, 
that  could  hardly  walk.  Used  one  box  on  him  and  cured  him  perfectly. 

Isaac  Zuercher,  Pandora,  Ohio.  " 


66  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

The  101  Ranch  —  A  Testimonial 

The  1 0 1  Ranch,  located  in  Oklahoma,  is  one  of  the  best-known 
in  the  United  States.  It  contains  87,000  acres,  enclosed  by  1 50 
miles  of  wire  fencing.  There  are  three  towns  within  its  borders, 
Bliss,  Red  Rock  and  White  Eagle.  It  contains  thousands  upon 
thousands  of  acres  of  corn,  wheat,  alfalfa,  oats,  melons,  fruit  trees 
and  small  fruits,  besides  thousands  of  acres  of  range,  over  which 
graze  cattle,  horses,  mules,  hogs  and  buffalo.  It  has  a  telephone 
system,  with  thirty-five  miles  of  private  wire.  Five  hundred  hands 
are  employed  during  the  busy  season.  Fifty  "  cow  punchers n 
attend  to  fifteen  thousand  cattle  and  five  hundred  mules.  There 
are  three  hundred  work  horses  and  a  herd  of  thirty-five  buffalo, 
preserved  as  curiosities. 

This  well-known  ranch  is  used  for  agricultural  pursuits  and  as 
an  immense  stock-breeding  farm,  raising  everything  from  buffalo 
down  to  chickens.  Its  work  is  conducted  upon  strictly  business 
lines ;  its  purchases  are  of  articles  known  to  be  good.  A  letter 
giving  the  experience  of  the  proprietors  of  this  immense  ranch  with 
Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  should  be  read  with  interest  by  every  stock- 
man, and  we  take  pleasure  in  printing  it  here  : 

"  White  Eagle,  Okla.,  July  14,  1898. 

"  'Dear  Sirs  :  'Please  find  enclosed  $5.00,  for  which  send  us  that  amount 
of  your  Gall  Cure.  Would  just  as  soon  have  it  in  hulk,  as  it  is  for  our  own 
use.  We  Toork  ooer  one  hundred  head  of  horses,  and  it  takes  quite  a  lot  to 
go  around.  Have  used  it,  and  like  it  splendid. 

"  We  buy  all  our  supplies  at  wholesale,  so  will  expect  dealers'  prices. 
*Please  send  by  Wells,  Fargo  6-  Co.  gxpress. 

Yours  truly,  THE  101  LIVE  STOCK  CO.  " 

Market  Classes 

Horses  present  greater  difficulties  in  grading  for  the  market  than 
almost  any  other  product.  In  modern  markets  the  grains  are 
graded  so  accurately  that  any  given  class  is  as  standard  as  govern- 

jl  neglected  gall  or  cut  will  lead  to  trouble  later. 


MARKET  CLASSES  67 

ment  bonds,  and  is  traded  in  many  times  between  producer  and 
consumer,  without  ever  being  seen  by  most  of  its  buyers  and  sellers. 
Beef  cattle  obey  the  same  law,  and  when  one  properly  understands 
the  method  of  classification  he  can  tell  very  accurately  what  the 
price  of  any  given  lot  will  be  by  reading  the  market  quotations. 
It  will  be  found  that  there  is  just  about  fifty  cents  per  hundred 
weight  difference  in  price  between  extra  choice  and  choice,  choice 
and  good,  good  and  medium,  medium  and  fair,  and  fair  and  com- 
mon steers. 

Market  horses  obey  the  same  law,  but  as  intimated  they  are 
harder  to  grade  because  their  qualities  vary  more  widely  and  their 
adaptability  to  any  purpose  is  far  less  uniform,  and  consequently 
the  prices  obtained  present  greater  contrasts  than  do  other  market 
products  in  general. 

The  greatest  horse  markets  are  New  York,  Philadelphia  and 
Chicago.  St.  Louis  also  handles  a  great  many  horses,  and  perhaps 
more  mules  than  any  other  trade  center.  Chicago  is  typical  as  a 
well-systematized  market,  especially  of  the  heavier  grades  of  horses, 
although  New  York  and  Philadelphia  perhaps  excel  in  classes  of 
quality  and  action.  A  characteristic  Chicago  market  quotation  is 
as  follows : 

Poor  to  Fair.  Good  to  Choice. 

Drafters $1  10  to  $160      $165  to  $240 

*  Loggers  and  feeders    .     .        75  to     1  45         1  50  to      1 90 

Chunks 75  to     100         110  to      145 

Expressers 110  to     150        150  to      170 

Farm  mares  and  chunLs    .        60  to      90  90  to      125 

Light  drivers       ....        65  to     1 30         150  to     400 
Actors  and  coachers   .     .       100  to     175        200  to     450 

To  discuss  these  several  classes  under  their  respective  heads,  we 
shall  learn  as  follows  : 

's  Gall  Cure  has  become  a  necessity  toith  our  farmers. 

W.  S,   Worthington,  Neshaminy,  Pa,  " 


68 


DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 


DRAFTERS  are  horses  of  size,  finish  and  condition,  and  of 
the  muscular,  weight-pulling  type.  They  must  not  weigh  less  than 
1 600  pounds  in  good  condition.  They  must  be  smooth,  compact, 
symmetrical  and  well-turned,  and  must  be  well  covered  with  flesh, 
often  to  a  point  of  over-fatness.  With  condition  and  quality,  the 
greater  the  weight  the  higher  the  price.  Good  drafters  weighing 
a  ton  will  often  bring  $400  to  $500  and  are  eagerly  sought  after. 


SIX-HORSE  TEAM  OF  CLYDESDALES 

The  competition  among  buyers  for  the  n  good  big  ones  n  is  very 
sharp  and  prices  realized  very  remunerative,  while  anything  falling 
below  1 600  pounds  must  go  into  another  class. 

LOGGERS  and  FEEDERS  are  horses  of  large  size,  but  lack- 
ing in  quality  or  condition.  For  the  lumber  camps  big  horses,  even 
if  rather  coarse,  are  just  as  useful,  and  the  investment  is  less.  The 
risk  of  loss  or  injury  and  small  advantage  of  fine  appearance  gener- 
ally decide  the  lumbermen  in  favor  of  the  coarser  grades  of  large 
horses.  At  the  same  time  many  big  horses  come  into  the  market 


JXColasses,  from  one  to  three  pints  twice  each  day,  mixed  with  grain,  is  an 
economical  food. 


MARKET  CLASSES  69 

having  plenty  of  quality  but  poor  condition.  Now  fat  is  requisite 
to  top  prices  in  the  horse  market,  so  that  many  farmers  make  it  a 
business  to  buy  horses  in  thin  flesh  and  feed  them  for  a  few  months, 
and  then  return  them  to  be  sold,  when  fat,  for  a  good  advance  in 
price.  The  FEEDERS  of  good  quality  when  fattened  become 
DRAFTERS  in  the  market. 

CHUNKS  are  horses  of  the  draft  type,  but  under  weight. 
They  are  compact,  well-made  horses,  in  good  condition  and 
weighing  from  1  300  to  1  550  pounds. 

EXPRESSERS  are  of  about  the  same  weight  as  chunks,  or 
possibly  rather  less  in  most  cases,  a  little  more  upstanding  and 
rangy  in  build,  with  quality,  finish  and  considerable  action.  The 
expresser,  in  his  best  estate  as  to  quality,  mettle,  size  and  finish, 
becomes  the  best  type  of  fire  horse,  while  the  slightest  and  smallest 
of  the  class  find  use  for  the  general  delivery  work  on  grocery 
teams,  &c. 

FARM  MARES  and  CHUNKS  are  a  still 'smaller  type  of 
animals  useful  chiefly  for  farm  work,  weighing  from  1  1 00  to  1  300 
pounds ;  they  are  equal  to  any  kind  of  work.  They  are  of  the 
compact  draft  type,  and  therefore  economical,  easy  keepers,  quiet 
in  temper,  and  strong  for  their  size.  It  is  from  this  class  of  mares 
that  many  drafters  are  bred  by  the  use  of  big  stallions  of  a  ton 
weight. 

LIGHT  DRIVERS  are  an  entirely  different  class  of  horses, 
of  slender  build  and  nervous  temperament.  It  will  be  seen  that 
their  prices  vary  widely  according  to  quality  and  speed.  A  light, 
slender  horse,  without  quality  and  speed,  is  a  cheap  horse  indeed ; 
but  with  a  high  degree  of  finish  and  quality,  and  the  speed 
that  the  best  ones  possess,  they  cease  to  be  a  market  factor 
and  are  sold  at  private  treaty  for  prices  up  in  the  four  figures, 
occasionally  in  the  five  figures,  and  one  or  two  stallions  of  this 

' '  We  have  used  your  Gall  Cure  for  the  past  three  years  and  find  it  the 
best  cure  for  old  sores  we  can  get. 

American  Lead  &  Baryta  Co.,  Old  Mines,  Mo,  " 


70  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

type   even  for  six  figures,    e.    g.,   Axtell  $105,000   and  Arion 
$125,000. 

ACTORS  and  COACHERS  comprise  a  class  with  more 
substance  and  weight  than  light  drivers,  rounder  in  form,  more 
bone  and  bigger  muscles,  with  the  same  quality  and  finish,  and 
high,  trappy  action  instead  of  extreme  speed.  This  class  varies  less 
than  the  preceding,  for  it  requires  a  good  horse  to  make  the  class. 
On  the  other  hand  they  do  not  command  such  remarkably  high 
prices  as  speed  horses  of  the  highest  quality.  PLUGS  are  com- 
monly found  in  markets  and  comprize  second-hand  horses,  gen- 
erally old,  or  unsound,  or  otherwise  inferior,  and  command  very 
low  prices. 

Saddle  Horses 

Besides  the  foregoing  Chicago  market  classes,  saddle  horses  are 
found  in  numbers  to  supply  the  large  demand  in  many  places. 
The  two  types  of  saddle  horses  are  "WALK  TROT  CAN- 
TER "  and  the  GAITED  saddler.  The  former  is  similar  in  type 
and  price  to  either  the  light  driver  or  the  actor  and  coacher,  and 
his  usefulness  for  saddle  purposes  detracts  nothing  from  his  carriage 
qualities,  but  may  add  slightly  to  his  value.  The  gaited  saddler, 
already  described  as  a  breed,  has  a  high  value  because  of  his 
special  qualities,  the  limited  numbers  in  the  market  and  the  ability 
of  people  who  want  these  qualities  to  pay  well  for  them. 

A  COMBINATION  horse  is  one  that  is  adapted  to  both 
saddle  and  carriage  uses. 

To  bring  the  highest  prices  in  the  market  certain  requisites  per- 
taining to  age,  soundness,  training  and  condition  are  observed. 
Unsound  horses  are  not  wanted,  and  it  will  not  pay  to  market 
them.  Horses  with  spavins  or  curbs,  or  ring  bones,  or  any  un- 
soundness  of  legs  which  may  produce  lameness,  command  very 
low  prices.  The  same  may  be  said  of  defects  in  the  wind,  which 
incapacitate  animals  for  the  best  service. 

The  stall  window  should  be  so  placed  that  the  light  will  not  shine  directly 
into  the  horse 's  eyes. 


SADDLE  HORSES  71 

The  best  market  age  is  five  to  eight  years,  after  seasoning  and 
development  is  complete,  and  before  the  best  useful  period  of  life 
is  very  far  advanced. 

Unbroken  horses  are  not  very  salable,  and  it  will  not  pay  to 
market  them  until  they  have  been  well  broken,  thoroughly  accus- 
tomed to  use,  and  even  seasoned  to  work. 

Finally,  however  useless  fat  may  be  as  to  its  intrinsic  value,  fat 
horses  sell  better  than  poor  ones,  and  it  will  pay  well  to  have 
horses  fat  before  attempts  are  made  to  sell  them  on  the  general 
market. 

Horse  Sales 

The  great  horse  sales  are  very  interesting  in  many  ways,  chiefly 
on  account  of  the  rapidity  and  volume  of  business.  None  but 
experts  can  follow  them,  and  yet  in  spite  of  the  rapidity  and  seem- 
ing recklessness  of  these  sales,  every  obligation  is  strictly  carried 
out  and  the  buyer  has  a  certain  time  in  which  to  prove  his  pur- 
chase and  return  it  for  a  refund  of  the  price  if  it  does  not  prove  as 
represented. 

A  common  method  of  description  is  to  hang  out  a  placard  with 
one  or  another  of  the  following  legends : 

"At  the  halter,"  "  Worker  only,"  "  Wind  and  work,"  "Service- 
ably  sound,"  "  Sound." 

T^ie  sign  "  at  the  halter  "  guarantees  absolutely  nothing.  The 
buyer  takes  his  horse  as  he  finds  him  and  runs  his  own  risk.  His 
purchase  may  be  blind,  lame,  fitly  or  wind  broken,  and  he  may 
balk,  kick  or  run  away.  The  bill  of  sale  does  not  recommend  him 
as  having  a  single  useful  quality,  and  there  would  be  in  this  case 
no  "  come  back." 

If  "  worker  only  "  is  the  tale,  the  horse  may  be  blind,  lame  or 
wind  broken,  but  will  work  as  well  as  he  is  able  and  does  not  or- 
dinarily balk.  It  is  the  least  that  can  be  given  by  way  of  guarantee. 

"  We  are  using  Bickmore  's  Gall  Cure  on  our  own  teams.  It  is  for  supe- 
rior to  any  remedy  we  have  ever  tried  for  sore  shoulders  on  horses, 

fyeimer B'os, ,  Winnipeg,  Man.,  Canada.'' 


72  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

"  Wind  and  work  "  guarantees  the  animal  to  be  sound  in  wind 
and  a  willing  worker,  but  may  have  unsoundness  in  his  legs  or  be 
blind  or  blemished. 

"  Serviceably  sound "  means  having  no  defect  that  lessens  his 
capacity  for  work.  The  horse  may  have  soft  puffs  on  the  joints, 
or  wire  cuts  or  blemishes  that  only  injure  his  appearance ;  he  may 
even  be  a  little  thick  in  wind,  if  not  wind  broken,  but  can  do  as 
much  work  as  though  he  were  perfectly  sound. 

n  Sound  "  is  the  highest  possible  guarantee.  It  is  equivalent  to 
a  statement  that  the  subject  has  no  defect  in  wind  or  limb,  is  well 
broken,  kind  and  free  from  vices,  and  if  not  so  found  within  time 
allotted  for  trying  him  out,  he  may  be  returned  for  a  refund  of  the 
purchase  price.  Very  commonly  horses  so  purchased  can  be 
returned  within  twenty-four  hours  and  money  received  on  mere 
statement  that  the  buyer  does  not  like  the  horse. 

Warning 

Influenced  by  the  large  sale  which  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  has, 
there  are  now  on  the  market  many  new  makes  of  Gall  Cure,  the 
makers  of  which  claim  them  to  be  "  just  as  good  as  Bickmore's." 
The  thinking  man  will  realize  that  when  a  manufacturer  or  a  dealer 
makes  this  statement  he  acknowledges  that  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure 
is  the  standard.  Some  dealers  will  offer  a  box  containing  more 
salve.  Quantity  does  not  count;  it  is  the  quality,  the  healing 
properties  of  a  salve  that  make  its  value  to  the  stockman.  Use 
but  a  little  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  follow  our  simple  directions  and 
it  will  give  you  satisfaction.  We  ask  our  customers  to  always 
insist  upon  having  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure  ;  to  always  look  for  our 
trade-mark,  the  old  gray  horse  at  work,  which  is  on  every  box 
and  all  of  our  advertising  matter. 

Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  wherever  bought,  is  warranted  satisfactory 
or  money  refunded.  Avoid  substitutes,  which  are  seldom  satis- 
factory. Send  your  orders  direct  to  the  factory  if  your  dealer  is 

Tie  disposition  of  a  horse  is  moulded  by  that  of  the  driver. 


WARNING  73 

trying  to  push  the  sale  of  a  new  Gall  Cure  upon  which  he  proba- 
bly makes  a  larger  profit. 

United  States  Department  of  Agriculture,  Office  of  Experiment  Stations. 
Porto  Rico  Agricultural  Experiment  Station, 

Office  of  Special  Agent  in  Charge, 
JfCayaguez,  Porto  Rico,  JfCarch  25,  1 905. 
Bickmore     Gall  Cure  Co.,  Old  'Sown,  Maine. 

Dear  Sirs  :  I  enclose  voucher  for  your  signature  covering  purchase  of  March 
1 6.     In  the  hot  climate  of  the  tropics  we  have  more  or  less  trouble  from  galled 
shoulders.      We  £eep  a  supply  of  your  cure  on  hand,  having  been  familiar 
with  its  use  in  the  states,  and  get  admirable  results  from  its  use. 
"Oery  truly  yours, 

D.  W.  JtfAY, 
Special  j4gent  in  Charge  of  'Porto  'Rico  Experiment  Station. 

Points  of  a  Good   Horse 

The  selection  of  a  horse  is  an  undertaking  for  which  the  average 
person  has  little  confidence,  and  such  would  doubtless  do  well  to 
employ  a  competent  horse  judge  of  known  integrity.  While  horse 
traders  have  not  a  very  enviable  reputation,  most  of  the  large  and 
well-known  dealers  are  honest,  not  only  as  a  matter  of  principle,  but 
because  it  is  a  good  business  policy.  The  horse  dealer,  doing  a 
large  and  increasing  business  for  a  series  of  years,  finds  the  confi- 
dence and  satisfaction  of  his  customers  among  the  most  important 
of  ttte  factors  contributing  to  his  success.  Many  a  wealthy  person 
would  do  far  better  to  entrust  his  purchase  to  a  reputable  dealer 
than  to  his  coachman  or  groom,  for  the  latter  would  be  apt  to  sup- 
plement the  first  method  by  a  liberal  "  rake  off  n  for  his  personal 
share  of  the  deal. 

If  the  selection  of  a  horse  or  a  carriage  pair  is  beyond  the  powers 
of  the  average  person,  much  more  is  the  judging  of  relative  merits 
and  characters  of  an  entire  group.  Horse  judging  is  indeed  expert 
work,  requiring  very  special  training  and  powers  of  discernment 
and  its  treatment  in  a  sketch  of  this  kind  would  be  presumptuous. 

"  Can  recommend  your  Call  Cure.     It  is  as  good  for  man  as  for  beast, 

Q.  7).  ®utler  &  Son.  Yreka,  Ca/.  " 


74  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

There  are,  however,  certain  points  in  a  horse  that  any  one  can 
consider,  and  in  their  application  learn  much  of  the  horse's  value. 

The  head  is  a  valuable  index  to  equine  nature  and  quality,  and 
tells  more  than  anything  else  of  the  character  of  the  possessor. 

A  big,  coarse  head  generally  goes  with  a  sluggish  temper,  while 
an  over-fine  head  may  belong  to  a  very  nervous  and  unsafe  animal. 
A  rather  medium  size  goes  with  the  best  temper,  and  if  more 
refined  it  will  indicate  good  life.  Lips  rather  firm  indicate  strength 
and  determination. 

The  eye  is  a  wonderful  indicator  of  temperament,  e.  g.,  a  dull 
eye  expresses  want  of  action  and  life  ;  a  mild  eye,  easy  temper  and 
good  feeding  quality ;  a  very  prominent  eye  indicates  nerve  force, 
and  if  its  expression  is  wild  and  restless,  its  possessor  is  apt  to  be 
unsteady  and  perhaps  unsafe.  An  eye  showing  much  white  com- 
monly belongs  to  a  horse  of  pronounced  temper  and  great  courage. 
Such  a  horse,  ill  treated,  might  become  balky  or  vicious. 

The  ears,  if  small  and  wide  apart,  indicate  fine  quality  and  high 
mettle  ;  if  too  large  they  show  a  dull,  sluggish  character.  When 
pointed  forward  they  indicate  a  pleasanter  disposition  than  when 
laid  back  upon  the  neck. 

A  forehead  wide  between  the  eyes  betokens  intelligence,  while 
if  it  is  narrow,  a  sullen,  dull  character  is  indicated.  Prominent  but 
fine  under  jaws  indicate  power  and  energy,  and  a  wide  intermax- 
illary space,  good  wind.  The  angle  of  the  head  with  the  neck 
•indicates  breeding  and  quality,  and  should  be  rather  wide  to 
recommend  it. 

While  the  mental  traits  of  a  horse  are  of  great  importance  his 
body  mechanism  is  equally  so.  A  strong  horse  would  not  be  very 
useful  if  he  was  too  sullen  to  work  or  too  excitable  to  be  safe, 
neither  would  a  courageous,  good-tempered  horse  be  worth  much 
without  good  legs  and  a  strong  body. 

The  neck  should  be  strong,  set  on  rather  high  and  well  back 
and  carried  high.  The  shoulders  should  be  long  and  oblique,  ex- 

The  mangers  should  be  regularly  cleaned  out  and  £e/t>/  clean 


POINTS  OF  A  GOOD  HORSE  75 

tending  well  into  the  back  to  give  activity  and  reach.  The  back 
should  be  short  and  well-muscled.  The  hips  smooth  and  not  too 
prominent.  The  quarters  should  be  long  and  muscular.  The  tail 
should  be  set  on  high  and  carried  well  up.  The  set  and  carriage 
of  the  tail  indicate  in  a  noticeable  degree  the  manners  and  style 
of  the  horse.  The  legs  should  be  set  straight,  well-muscled  above 
the  knees  and  hocks,  and  wide  and  lean  below.  The  pasterns 
should  be  strong  and  supple  and  set  at  the  same  angle  as  the 
shoulders  and  thighs.  The  feet  are  of  great  consequence,  and 
should  be  of  medium  size,  well  formed  and  dense  as  to  horn,  elastic 
as  to  frog,  concave  as  to  sole,  and  full  and  strong  as  to  the  bars  of 
the  heel. 

The  body  should  be  deep  in  the  chest,  and  in  width  according 
to  breed,  to  give  room  for  breathing  and  the  vital  organs.  A  close- 
ribbed  body  is  a  strong  body,  and  a  body  that  is  low  in  the  flank 
indicates  great  bottom  and  endurance.  The  legs  should  be  well 
under  the  body,  particularly  the  fore  legs,  which  indicate  stiffness 
or  unsoundness  if  projecting  ahead  of  a  vertical  line  from  the  elbow. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  the  legs  should  be  smooth  and  free 
from  blemishes,  and  wind  should  be  good  ;  but  an  extended  dis- 
cussion of  these  points  would  be  out  of  place  in  this  paper. 


Wov.28,  1905. 
The  &ickmore  Gall  Cure  Co.,  Old  Town,  MCe. 

Gentlemen  :  On  Sept.  24  I  received  from  you  half  dozen  boxes  of  your 
Qall  Cure  with  instructions,  which  I  followed  out,  using  one,  box  on  a  mare 
that  had  made  the  trip  to  the  Uinta  Reservation  and  back,  500  miles,  and 
had  eight  bad  saddle  and  collar  galls.  They  isere  completely  healed  in  ten 
days  under  daily  use.  I  then  used  it  on  an  old  saddle  gall  which  an  attack  °f 
distemper  had  caused  to  break  out>  forming  a  spot  the  size  of  a  hen  's  egg. 
^his  entirely  disappeared  and  the  horse  is  sound. 

Your  cure  is  all  that  you  claim  for  it  and  more.      Many  thanks  for  your 
courtesy.      I  find  that  Parson  's  Drug  Store,  T^urango,  Colo.  ,  handles  it. 
"Oery  truly, 

ROBERT  SWARTWOUT, 

Hermosa,  Colorado. 


76  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

Horse  Breeding 

Without  going  into  the  principles  of  animal  breeding  as  a  science, 
we  will  consider  horse  breeding  as  practiced  and  practicable, 
alluding  to  some  of  the  well-known  laws  and  rules  as  they  suggest 
themselves,  when  having  a  bearing  upon  the  particular  problems 
under  consideration.  Probably  the  first  question  that  concerns  the 
horse  breeder  is  the  kind  of  mares  to  breed  from,  and  it  indeed 
merits  much  more  careful  thought  than  it  frequently  receives. 

The  fundamental  principle  of  breeding,  "  like  begets  like,"  applies 
to  the  brood  mare  with  the  same  force  that  obtains  with  other 
animals,  and  if  it  is  true,  as  it  undoubtedly  is,  that  it  does  not  pay 
to  produce  inferior  horses,  then  it  obviously  does  not  pay  to  breed 
poor  mares,  with  the  certainty  that  their  inferiority  will  be  repro- 
duced. 

The  mare  must  be  a  good  animal  of  her  kind.  She  must  be 
free  from  defects  of  size  and  conformation  that  may  be  transmitted 
to  her  progeny.  She  must  not  have  unsoundnesses  of  a  hereditary 
nature.  Her  temperament  and  intelligence  are  also  as  subject  to 
the  laws  of  heredity  as  any  other  qualities.  Broken  down  and 
unsound  mares  are  not  desirable  breeding  propositions.  Age  is 
no  bar  to  the  desirability  of  a  brood  mare  ;  in  fact,  an  old  mare,  if 
sound  and  of  the  right  type,  presents  distinct  advantages  by  way 
of  guarantee  of  stamina  and  longevity,  and  freedom  from  predispo- 
sition to  unsoundness.  There  are,  however,  certain  difficulties 
and  even  added  risks  in  breeding  old  mares.  Their  fecundity  is 
lessened  and  difficulties  of  parturition  are  somewhat  increased  by 
old  age. 

So  long  as  breeders  generally  must  select  from  among  animals 
considerably  short  of  perfection,  and  we  advise  discrimination  against 
the  defects  mentioned,  it  may  well  be  asked  "  what  mares  then  can 
we  breed  ?  "  Probably  the  defects  of  lack  of  refinement,  a  rather 
open  conformation  bordering  on  coarseness,  and  other  characters 

£xercise  your  horses  before  putting  them  into  the  hard  spring  n>or£. 


HORSE  BREEDING  77 

peculiar  to  the  female  sex  are  the  least  objectionable  and  most 
easily  counteracted  by  care  in  the  selection  of  the  sire. 

If  the  mare  has  strength,  good  constitutional  vigor,  is  of  good 
size,  and  free  from  constitutional  defects  or  unsoundness,  she  will 
do  to  breed. 

THE  SELECTION  of  the  SIRE  is  of  much  consequence 
and  is  frequently  too  little  considered.  It  is  chiefly  through  the 
sire  that  improvement  in  our  domestic  animals  is  secured.  We 
should  at  the  outset  select  a  stallion  that  is  better  than  the  mares 
bred  to  him.  He  should  be  in  the  first  place  of  the  breed  best 
suited  to  the  conditions  of  the  breeder's  business  and  market,  and  of 
a  breed  and  type  that  will  cross  well  with  the  mares  chosen.  He 
should  not  be  of  an  entirely  different  class  from  his  mares,  or  un- 
certainty and  much  variety  of  progeny  will  result.  In  size  he 
should  generally  be  larger  than  the  mare,  for  improvement  in  size 
is  by  no  means  the  least  object  in  breeding.  A  good  big  horse  is 
better  than  a  good  little  horse.  The  draft  sire  should  weigh  a  ton, 
the  coach  sire  1  300  to  1  500  pounds,  and  the  speed  sire  about 
1  200,  so  that  he  may  add  something  to  the  size  of  his  colts,  as 
well  as  to  their  other  points  of  excellence. 

The  stallion  should  be  more  compactly  and  strongly  made  than 
the  mare,  not  only  as  a  sex  characteristic,  but  that  he  may  beget 
rugged,  strong  foals.  He  should  be  finely  finished,  upstanding, 
stylish,  and  superior  in  action,  for  all  these  characters  are  valuable 
and  need  to  be  improved  in  breeding.  His  temper,  courage  and 
intelligence  are  also  important,  and  particularly  his  prepotency. 

Prepotency  is  an  individual  characteristic  that  can  only  be  de- 
termined by  test ;  but  the  sire  that  has  the  prepotency  to  stamp  his 
virtues  uniformly  upon  his  progeny  is  an  animal  of  rare  value. 
Pedigree  is  valuable  chiefly  as  an  indicator  of  prepotency,  for  the 
pure-bred  sire  is  usually  more  prepotent  because  of  his  lineage. 
The  kind  of  a  pedigree  that  is  most  certain  to  produce  prepotent 

"/  have  used  the  Bicfcrnore  Gall  Cure  ever  since  it  came  out,  and  it  is 
good.  <%.  7£.  Reynolds,  'Perry,  III." 


78  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

animals  is  the  one  that  is  most  uniform,  not  only  in  the  kind  of 
characters  of  the  animals  included,  but  in  their  degree  as  well. 

The  horse  breeder,  to  be  successful,  should  select  a  sire  better 
than  his  mares,  of  larger  size,  compacter  build,  finer  finish,  superior 
action,  and  as  prepotent  as  possible. 

In  regard  to  the  season  of  the  year,  spring  is  the  natural  breeding 
season,  and  the  natural  instincts  of  the  mares  to  breed  in  spring  and 
summer  are  very  firmly  fixed.  It  often  happens  that  the  mare  can 
be  spared  from  work  at  other  times  more  easily,  and  when  this  is 
the  case  the  greater  advantages  will  warrant  an  effort  in  that  direc- 
tion. Mares  may  be  successfully  bred  to  foal  in  late  summer  or 
early  fall,  or  in  late  winter  or  very  early  spring,  so  that  their  use  on 
farms  for  spring  and  summer  work  is  not  seriously  interfered  with. 

The  Brood  Mare  Needs  Exercise  and  Liberal  Feeding 

The  exercise  should  be  in  kind  adapted  to  her  capacity ;  draft 
work  for  draft  mares,  carriage  work  for  lighter  mares ;  and  farm 
work  can  be  found  suitable  to  almost  any  kind  of  a  brood  mare. 
The  amount  of  work  a  pregnant  mare -can  safely  perform  is  the 
same  during  the  first  six  or  seven  months  of  pregnancy  as  with  a 
mare  not  with  foal.  As  the  time  for  parturition  approaches  and 
she  grows  heavier,  the  pace  will  be  gradually  slackened  and  the 
working  hours  shortened.  She  may  perform  work  at  a  moderate 
pace  up  to  two  or  three  days  before  foaling  without  prejudice  to 
the  foal  or  herself.  Indeed,  she  will  be  stronger  and  parturition 
easier  because  of  the  regular  work  performed.  Very  fast  or  heavy 
work,  heating  unduly,  heavy  backing,  sharp  turning,  &c.,  are  to  be 
avoided  by  mares  near  to  parturition,  after  the  seventh  or  eighth 
month.  FOR  PARTURITION  a  loose  box  or  paddock  should 
be  provided  and  the  mare  left  to  herself  for  the  most  part,  the 
groom  merely  informing  himself  whether  she  is  doing  well  or  other- 
wise, and  giving  assistance  only  when  needed,  which  is  very  rare. 

If  you  want  strong,  healthy  colts,  use  strong,  healthy  horses  for  breeding. 


EXERCISE  AND  LIBERAL  FEEDING  79 

A  cooling,  laxative  ration  before  foaling  is  of  much  value.  Pasture 
grass  or  carrots,  bran  mashes,  or  dry  bran,  and  oil  meal  being 
among  the  best  laxative  fodders. 

AFTER  FOALING  the  mare  should  have  a  vacation,  pref- 
erably in  pasture ;  but  she  must  be  liberally  fed  to  secure  the  most 
rapid  growth  of  the  foal.  Growth  counts,  and  at  no  period  can 
it  be  more  certainly  or  cheaply  secured  than  during  the  first  months 
of  life. 

WEANING  takes  places  at  five  or  six  months,  or  much  earlier 
if  the  mare's  work  is  needed.  It  is  better  for  the  working  mare  to 
be  relieved  of  the  drain  of  milk  secretion  and  better  for  the  foal. 
Very  good  results  may  be  obtained  by  weaning  the  youngsters  at 
two  months.  Weaning  should  be  sharp  and  decisive  and  not  pro- 
tracted, to  give  the  least  set  back.  After  weaning  the  colt's  feed 
should  be  ample  and  varied.  Plenty  of  grass  or  good  hay,  crushed 
oats,  bran,  and  sweet  skimmed  milk  are  all  good  feeds  and  may  be 
suited  to  the  appetite  of  the  youngster.  The  main  point  is  to  keep 
the  foal  growing  rapidly  and  make  him  as  large  as  possible.  He 
will  be  more  useful  and  bring  more  money  if  of  large  size  than  if 
stunted  and  small. 

TRAINING  or  BREAKING  to  the  halter  begins  soon  after 
foaling ;  harness  lessons  at  about  two  years  old.  In  training  colts, 
the  teacher  thust  at  all  times  command  their  confidence.  Teach 
one  thing  at  a  time.  Always  use  the  same  word  or  signal  for  the 
same  movement.  Drill  each  action  until  promptly  and  cleanly 
executed.  Avoid  confusing  the  colt  with  too  many  things  at  once. 
A  few  lessons  well  taught  are  better  than  many  half  taught.  Do 
not  make  the  first  lessons  too  long.  Colts  learn  faster  when  fresh 
than  when  tired.  Tiring  out  a  colt  to  make  him  manageable  is  a 
poor  method.  It  is  apt  to  spoil  the  temper  and  make  him  balky 
or  sullen.  Colts  recuperate  rapidly  and  may  take  two  or  three 

"We  are  located  on  the  Gulf  Cattle  Range.  The  cow  men  all  want 
Bicfymore  's  Gall  Cure  for  saddle  galls. 

F.  M.  Du/;e,  Alvin,  Texas." 


80  DEVELOPMENT  OF  THE  MODERN  HORSE 

short  lessons  daily,  but  half  an  hour  is  generally  long  enough  at 
first.  Avoid  physical  contests.  The  strength  of  the  trainer  is  less 
than  that  of  the  colt,  and  once  the  latter  learns  the  fact,  he  has 
learned  a  thing  dangerous  to  all  who  handle  him.  It  makes  little 
difference  whether  harness  training  is  given  singly  or  with  another 
horse  at  first.  It  should  be  both  ways  before  it  is  finished.  The 
horse  selected  as  mate  for  the  youngster  should  not  be  a  dead- 
head, but  as  well  suited  in  gait  and  temperament  to  the  pupil  as 
may  be. 

DEVELOPMENT  is  consistent  with  profitable  use,  and  the 
colt  may  be  made  to  pay  his  way  with  work  performed  after  he  is 
two  years  old,  provided  he  is  well-grown  and  proper  judgment  is 
used  in  regulating  the  work  to  his  capacity.  Long  hours,  hard 
drives  or  heavy  draft  are  not  suited  to  the  youngster.  They  tend 
to  stunt  his  growth  and  break  his  spirit,  both  fatal  to  the  best  final 
product.  On  the  other  hand,  short  daily  drives  or  light  farm  work, 
generally  increasing  as  the  youngster's  muscles  and  appetite  for 
work  increase,  not  only  do  no  harm  but  stimulate  the  appetite  and 
promote  the  growth,  so  that  in  the  end  you  have  a  well-grown, 
well-trained,  seasoned  horse,  instead  of  a  soft,  flabby,  green  colt, 
which  can  only  be  made  fit  for  hard  use  by  months  of  careful 
handling  and  conditioning. 

Many  horses  are  not  unlike  colts  in  respect  to  their  powers  of 
endurance.  There  is  a  vast  difference  between  the  horse  in  daily 
use,  with  muscles  hardened  and  turned  for  heavy  draft  or  hard 
drives,  and  the  one  that  has  stood  in  the  stable  on  full  feed  in  idle- 
ness. In  the  spring  farm  horses  commonly  are  short  of  work  and 
need  to  be  gradually  seasoned  with  easier  tasks  before  the  hard 
daily  labors  of  tillage  begin. 

Carriage  horses  that  are  little  used  are  not  fit  for  long,  hard 
drives.  A  fat  horse  and  one  in'  hard  flesh  are  very  different  ani- 
mals. It  is  comparatively  easy  to  fat  up  a  horse  inured  to  hard 

Condition  powders  are  unnecessary  if  your  horses  are  fed  right  and  prope-Zy 
exercised. 


EXERCISE  AND  LIBERAL  FEEDING  81 

work ;    but  it  is  a  slow,  tedious  process  to  replace  soft  fat  with 
well-seasoned  muscle. 

In  CONDITIONING  and  TRAINING  RACE  HORSES 
it  is  the  artist  who  brings  his  charges  to  the  post  fit  to  go  the  race 
of  their  life.  Many  fall  by  the  way  and  break  down  under  the 
strain  of  training.  Many  horses  are  called  n  quitters  n  because  their 
tired  muscles  refuse  to  act  towards  the  end  of  a  bruising  race,  and 
they  allow  competitors  to  pass  them  and  win.  The  Arab  horse- 
man knows  the  value  of  a  horse  thoroughly  toughened  and  ready 
to  take  his  rider  a  hundred  miles  in  ten  hours.  The  truckman 
knows  the  advantage  of  having  his  team  ready  to  go  in  the  collar 
safely  for  every  ounce  there  is  in  them  when  called  on. 

The  race-horse  trainer  knows  that  many  a  race  is  lost  or  won 
on  the  condition  of  the  horse  and  its  ability  to  carry  the  pace  to 
the  finish. 

Use  does  not  hurt  seasoned  horses.  Feed  and  use  are  both 
dangerous  to  horses  in  idleness. 


"  Your  Call   Cure  has  given  the  best  of  satisfaction  among  farmers  and 
horsemen.  3\C.  H.  Aamolh,  Faith,  Minn." 


The  Bickmore  Gall  Cure  Company 

OLD  TOWN,  MAINE,  U.  S.  A. 
Sole  Makers  of  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure 


BRANCH  OFFICES  AND  AGENCIES 

Pacific  Coast Fred  P.  "Winchester,  578  Mission  St.,  San 

Francisco,  California. 

Canada Wingate  Chemical  Co.,  545  Notre  Dame  St. 

W.,  Montreal. 

Great  Britain American  Agencies,  Ltd.,  38  Shoe  Lane,  Lon- 
don, E.  C.,  England. 

Qermany  and  Middle  Europe  Bickmore  Gall  Cure  Co.,  J.  A.  Gray,  Agent, 

Rittr.  Strasse  42-43,  Berlin,  S.  W.  68. 

France Agency  now  being   arranged. 

Australia Bickmore  Gall  Cure  Co.,  Abbott  Richardson, 

Agent,  489  Flinders  Lane,  Melbourne. 

New  Zealand Brodrick  &  Kinvig,  Wellington. 

South  Africa Lennon  Limited,  Cape  Town  and  Branches. 

India Howe  &  Trunkett,  Calcutta. 

Argentine  Republic  ....  Miller  &  Cia.,  Rivadavia,  No.  567,  Buenos 

Ayres. 

^  BUSINESS  PROPOSITION.  Buy  a  box  of  Bickmore's  Gall  Cure, 
use  it  according  to  directions,  and  if  you  are  not  perfectly  satisfied  that  it  is  just 
as  represented  the  dealer  will  pay  you  back  your  money.  You  run  no  risk,  as 
we  authorize  the  dealer  to  do  this.  Do  not  let  a  horse  lie  idle  that  you  need  in 
your  business  when  the  cost  of  a  single  day's  feed  expended  in  a  box  of  Bick- 
more's Gall  Cure  will  cure  the  sore,  and  from  a  constant  bill  of  expense  will  turn 
your  horse  into  a  money  earner  once  more. 

S* 


TRIAL  OFFER 


If  any  reader  of  this  book,  who  owns  stock  and  has  never  used 
Bickmore's  Gall  Cure,  would  like  to  try  it,  we  will  mail  a  sample 
box  free  of  charge  upon  request.  The  coupon  below  should  be 
filled  out,  indicating  how  much  stock  is  owned,  and  mailed  to  us : 


P.  O.  Address 


.  F.  D.  route  if  any  _State_ 


I  own_  horses, cattle, mules,  and  if  your 

sample  works  satisfactorily  I  will  remember  your  trade-mark  and  ask  for 
glCKMORE'S  Qall  Cure  when  I  call  for  it  at  my  dealer's  place  of  busi- 
ness. 

Signed :  __ 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


LD  21A-60m-4,'64 
(E4555slO)476B 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


16361' 


/ 


156219 


